Gotta Open Your Heart, Dude
by jazziisms
Summary: The Sonic gang reunite for a little get-together at Tails' place, but what will Sonic do when he sees Amy? Sonamy, Tailream, Knouge, Shadally, & Silvaze pairings.
1. The Rose Catches the Wind

**Hey guys! With just my collab with PoeticLover1996-PLEASE CHECK OUT HER STORIES, FOR THE LOVE OF- -I have no more Sonic works out! So I figured, why not? :D**

**Plus, okay, I love _Open Your Heart._ And I may or may not have played _Sonic Adventure_ today.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog in any form or fashion!**

* * *

"Sonic!"

Sonic opened one eye from his comfortable perch in a tree. "Hm?"

The blue blur peered over just to see the familiar face of a jubilant Tails, his blue eyes bright to match the smile on his face, staring back up at the hedgehog from his place on the ground. Seeing the happy look, Sonic returned the smile. The sky was clear, the sun was out, and the weather was perfect. The icing on the cake would be getting news from Eggman!

Buuut he was also content with not getting called to action. He was perfectly fine, just as long as his friends were safe and unharmed.

"I called the gang over for the day," replied the yellow kitsune. "We haven't seen each other in a while...Is that okay?"

"Sure!" Sonic was wide awake now, having already flipping off the branch and landing on his feet in one swift movement. "'S long as there'll be chilli dogs, I'm there!" He held up a thumbs-up and winked.

Tails knew that the speedster was about to take off for a run.

"But w-wait!" Tails called just as Sonic sped off, gaining speed-"_did I mention that Amy's coming too?!"_

Sonic stopped short, yards away from the two-tailed fox, his stomach in knots as he slowly turned his head. Amy too? He should've saw that coming, but...

"Is she?" Sonic said casually, meeting Tails' gaze.

"Yeeeah," said Tails awkwardly, tilting his head to the side, and Sonic tensed up. Tails was smart. And he was one of the only people who could read Sonic like an open book. He _knew_ something was off. "Thought I'd let ya know," he added.

Sonic nodded once, looking more laidback on the outside than the inside. "Noted."

On the inside, he was a storm of nerves. It's been months since he'd seen the gang, let alone the sakura hedgehog who had always managed to find him at any given point in time. And now that he was hearing that he was going to finally see her face again?

He brushed off the happy feeling as his eagerness to see everybody. But now with the bubbly, loving hedgehog on his mind, he couldn't help but wonder. How was she doing? What was she up to nowadays? What made her so busy that she spaced herself from him? Not that he was complaining or anything.

"Sonic?" Tails all of a sudden started smiling. "Are you-_blushing?"_

"Psh, whaaat? Me? Never!" Sonic, now snapping out of the dazed look he was oblivious to, waved it off, his hands falling on his hips. Tails was giving him a smug, I-know-you're-lying-about-how-you-feel-and-it's-only-a-matter-of-time-before-you-start-running, look. "The sun, you know. Whoo!" He pretended to fan himself, and when he saw that Tails was still smirking, he rushed out, "Gotta go, bye!" before he was gone with a gust of wind.

"Hehe, he'll be back!" Tails laughed to himself, shaking his head as he turned to head back to his house. "He always comes back..."

.

The first to arrive was Cream the Rabbit, a petite sweetheart who is easy to get along with and a pleasure to be around, and Tails' long-time crush. After Cosmo's demise, Cream had been there to help him cope. They grew older, and feelings deepened for the shortest female of the Sonic gang. He hadn't expected it really, and poor Tails didn't know how to tell her how he felt.

Then came Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic and Tails' best friend. He was a hothead, but fiercely loyal, determined, and protective. He always guards the Master Emerald, since he resides on Angel Island, so it was always nice to see him when they could.

Sonic came zooming in a bit after that.

"'Sup, Knux!" he greeted, and Knuckles gave him the 'sup-head nod' in return.

"Hi, Mr. Sonic!" Cream waved, and Sonic waved back at her.

"Well, well, well," a deep voice said, and the group turned as none other than Shadow the Hedgehog and Silver the Hedgehog entered the house. "Look what the wind blew in."

"That's me!" said Sonic while Silver hugged him. Shadow sighed and rolled his eyes. "Aw, c'mon, no hug? You know you wannaaa."

Shadow hesitated. "Fine. Make it quick."

The two rivals, as well as friends, stepped towards each other; everyone watched as they practically slapped each other, arms around each other for the briefest of seconds before they turned away. Cream giggled.

.

Rouge the Bat and Blaze the Cat were the next duo to arrive. Sonic did a headcount, counting off each person in his head.

He scratched his quills. "Hm...where could she be?" he wondered out loud. "It's not like her to just-"

"SONIC!"

Sonic bolted. "Uh oh!" _Careful for what you wish for, Hedgehog!_

But it was too late for him to run. A smaller body slammed into his, sending them both tumbling into the grass, rolling to a stop in a heap of tangled limbs. Finding himself at the bottom, his arms wrapped around a very _very_ feminine frame, his eyes found pink. A _lot_ of pink.

He snatched his hands away as if he had been burned, hanging them awkwardly over his head.

"Oh Sonic! I'm so happy to see you!" Amy squealed, sitting up in his lap, clasping her hands together. The blue speedster was stunned silent. Her quills were a lot longer than he had last seen them, and since _when_ did she get _those_...girly things? _She's not supposed to have those...those things!_

Again, Sonic said not a word, just stared back up into her emerald green orbs with a mixture of shock and awe.

Amy's smile faltered, now afraid that she broke him. "Sonic?"

A long beat of silence passed before a mischievous smile slowly began to spread across Sonic's face. Before Amy could get the first syllable of his name out, he attacked her with a playful growl, leaping up, flipping her over, and pushing her down. The sight of her beneath him sent not-so-innocent thoughts through Sonic's mind, and he was quick to shove them to the very back of his head.

"No call, no_ text,_" he hissed through gritted teeth, and Amy's eyes widened. _"And you expect things to go back to the way they were just like that?"_

Amy's mouth fell open, looking like she was about to start crying.

But, however, Sonic made a different call.

Because the group started to hear her giggling.

"I'm s-sorry!" Amy squealed breathlessly, trying in a weak attempt to stop Sonic's assault on her stomach. Sonic's hands did not falter. He was playing with her, attacking her ribcage, her hips, her sides, the space just below her belly, everywhere he could reach. He was laughing too, enjoying this as much as she was, and he was dominating her with ease. He missed hearing her giggle. "Oh my-! S-Sonic please!"

"Are you sorry?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Are you sorry?"

"Y-y-yes!"

"No you're not."

"C-can't b-reathe!"

"Do you give up?"

_"S-s-O-NIC!"_

"I'm just messin' with ya," Sonic grinned, finally letting her breathe. He leaned down and, not knowing what he was thinking, kissed the top of her head. "Welcome back, Ames."

* * *

**For a first chappie, I think it came out pretty well :} Reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Beating Around the Bush

**10 REVIEWS?! ARE YOU GUYS SRS RN?**

**That's never happened to me on a Sonic story before, so I just wanna thank each and every one of you who reviewed on the last chapter! **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the last :}**

* * *

Amy was swarmed by her friends and allies in an excited frenzy, questions and exclamations coming from each direction. Sonic chuckled, following behind the group as they headed inside. Apparently no one had been in touch with the rosy hedgehog lately!

"Easy, guys! Give her a chance to breathe!" the blue speedster finally spoke up, his laughter subsiding as the gang spaced out. Amy shot him a thankful look, her mind still buzzing over the surprise kiss that he gave her.

Sonic smiled back at her, but then, realizing he was staring too long, awkwardly cleared his throat and threw his hands behind his back nonchalantly.

"Soooo, Amy...where were ya?" he couldn't help but ask.

_Way to be subtle, Hedgehog_.

"Aww, you missed me?" she beamed at him, and he visibly tensed. "Oh, Sonniku!" She couldn't help but glomp him and squeeze him lovingly around the torso. Old habits die hard, ya know?

"Heh. Yeah, ahem." Sonic awkwardly patted her back and tried to shimmy out of her vice grip at the same time. "Let's not get too carried away with, uh-"

"I missed you all so, so much!" an oblivious Amy began to babble, finally releasing him as she gushed on and on. "It all started when I was following Sonic, really-" Sonic's eyes bulked out at this, and he took a step back-"but then something happened and I got sidetracked!"

"What happened, Amy?" Cream asked excitedly.

The pink hedgehog paused for dramatic effect before she finally revealed-

"I met someone!"

Tails and Knuckles both looked at Sonic out of the corner of their eyes for the briefest of seconds to gauge his reaction; much to their curiosity, and Shadow's dark amusement because he noticed it too, the oddest look came across Sonic's face. The other females-and Silver-in the room weren't paying attention, for their eyes were on Amy and waiting for their friend to spill the beans.

Sonic got the strangest feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Who'd you meet, Pinky?" Rouge prodded.

"You'll find out. Soon." Amy smiled at the ivory bat.

By then, the guys had grouped up, standing next to each other; Silver pushed his head between Sonic and Tails' shoulders and asked aloud, "Am I the only one who wants to know now?"

"Shut up, Silver."

"You met someone new, huh?" Sonic teased, peering around Amy's head to look at her, having to stoop down to her height (which he thought was hilarious.) "Trying to replace me already? Jeez, I'm hurt. You wounded me, Ames."

Amy opened her mouth to comment when Rouge beat her to the punch. "Why? Jealous, Big Blue?"

"Psh, whaaaat?" Sonic said in a high pitched voice, and Tails and Knuckles exchange smirks. "Jealous? Me? A guy like me doesn't get jealous." He crossed his arms and scoffed, tapping his foot. "Please."

"Uh _huh_," Knuckles said slowly, and Tails failed at trying not to laugh.

Amy's hands came over her mouth, speechless in shock. The way Sonic was acting, the way he kidded around about "replacing him", and now he refused to look at her or anybody else in the room...

_Oh my gosh! Sonic is...he's...he's-!_

"Mint?" Cream asked, coming out of nowhere with a round tray full of the sweet and cool candies.

"Sure! I'd love some!" Tails automatically piped up, reaching for his favorite treats with wide, eager eyes. Cream giggled, watching him happily, her own energy bouncing off of his.

The gang gradually gathered around the rabbit to accept her offering, and when Shadow was left, Cream skipped up to him.

"Hello, Mr. Shadow! Would you like a mint? Can I get you anything?"

"Hmph," was Shadow's typical reply, and Cream gave him a little look; the sight made the dark hedgehog want to smile, because he knows she must've picked that up from either Sonic or Knuckles; or perhaps himself. "No thanks, Shorty."

"Are you sure? We haven't spent time together in a long time, Mr. Shadow, and even then it's when we're fighting!" Which Cream _always_ saved until the last resort. "I barely see you, and I know you're busy, but could you at least try not to be so antisocial? It would mean the world to me!"

Shadow's blank look softened. The girl meant well, even if he didn't want to believe it. If it wasn't Amy, then Cream would be the heart of the group. She always wanted what was best for her friends and made sure they were okay before worrying about herself. He sometimes wished he could have some ounce of her personality. Maybe he wouldn't be so bitter.

"Maybe..for a minute," he caved, and before she could cheer, he added hastily with his pointer finger up, _"Just_ a little while."

"Yay!" Cream clapped, and Shadow didn't bother stopping her from grabbing his hand.

* * *

"You're seriously not gonna tell me who this mystery person is?" Sonic was saying, walking down the busy streets of Station Square with Amy in stride. He decided to go for another run, and it wasn't surprising that the rosy hedgehog was quick to tag along.

And since she brought this on herself, he was gonna have a little fun with her.

Amy giggled behind her hand as they reached the park. "Good things come to those who wait, silly!"

"Alright, alright," Sonic held up his hands.

But he just would not let that go.

"Gimme a hint."

"No!"

"Any hint?"

"Nope!"

"Hint of a hint?"

"Sonic!"

"C'moooon, just tell me whooo!" Sonic stepped in her way, practically whining. "You afraid I'll squash 'em?" he added, his voice dripping in cockiness.

_"Actually_ I'm worried if they'll squash _you,"_ Amy corrected him through her laughter.

Sonic snorted. As if. Just who was this character? Who was so important that they took up all of Amy's time? Sonic wracked his brain, scratching the top of his quills. Other than himself, Amy tended to help out anyone in need of her care. There was the little birdie she tried to make him bird-sit once, Froggy and Chocola when they went missing, remained faithful and super positive about his werehog form...he had a good handful of them.

"Who's your new best buddy, Eggman?" said Sonic with his hands on his hips. The only way Eggman could defeat Sonic is if he sat on him-and even then, the old man would have to catch him first!

Amy shook her head, smiling up at him.

"The suspense is killing me!" Sonic exclaimed. "C'mon, tell me! I'll do anything! Hell, I'll even kiss you again-!" He stopped himself and stammered, "Ignore that last part," before Amy could even faint. "I'm desperate."

"Hmmmm..." she hummed artfully. "We fight on the same side..." she slowly treaded.

"Do I know said person?"

"You do."

"Am I close with this person?"

"Very."

"Have I seen this person recently?"

"Nope."

Sonic's eye twitched. He was one step away from strangling her. If he were Knuckles or Shadow, he'd be fuming, cursing and barking at every small hint she threw out. _Why won't she just come out and say it?_

Amy was now looking at something over Sonic's shoulder, meeting the blue hedgehog's gaze as she said, "But you're about to."

Sonic whirled.


	3. Old Friends

**Hey guys! Who's ready for Sonic Boom? I know I am!**

**And I don't know about you, but I am so diggin' Amy's new outfit. Much more tomboyish and spunky, but still keeping it girly. Love it!**

**Okay, okay, I'll stop before I babble on and on about my love for Amy Rose.**

**...That's Sonic's job.**

**[ P.S. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE AMOUNT OF REVIEWS LAST CHAPTER! I'M AT 20 ALREADY, AND IT LETS ME KNOW THAT I'M DOING MY JOB RIGHT :} ]**

* * *

_Sonic whirled._

"No. Way."

Amy smiled.

"Sally?"

Sally Acorn barely got out an exuberant, "Hey!" before Sonic glomped her in enthusiasm. How long has it been since he'd seen her? How did she get here? he wondered. Did she get zapped here too?

Regardless, he was very happy to see her. The last time he remembered, her hair was cropped a lot shorter; now it spilled past her shoulders in a long, auburn waterfall. She stood a little taller than Amy, having blossomed into a beautiful young lady.

"Sal! It's good to see ya! 'Bout time you showed up, eh?"

"Still think I can't take you?" Sally giggled as they pulled out of the hug.

Sonic's smile faltered. "Oh that? U-Uh, you see what had happened was...I-I-I was just playing-!"

"Uh huh."

She and Amy giggled, and all of a sudden, Sonic felt rather stupid.

_"This_ is the person you met?" Sonic wanted to clarify. "Sally? Not some, uh...big, burly guy who might be your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Amy repeated, and Sally arched an eyebrow.

_Boyfriend, huh?_ Sally mused. _That's interesting..._

"U-uh, yeah! You never know, Amy. Maybe I wanted to see if he's good enough for ya, that's all!" _Smooth, Sonic. Smooooooth. _

Amy stared up at her hero in disbelief, he now a full head taller than her. "Sonic! All this time, you thought that the person I met was a...a...-?"

Sonic hesitated before slowly nodding his head.

Their gazes continued to stay glued on each other, jade green into lime green. Amy started smirking, and Sonic retreated back a step with a spreading frown.

"Oh, _Sonikku_..." Amy shimmied over to him. "Were you..._jealous_?"

Sonic scoffed, hands now on his hips. "As _if."_

Amy giggled and stepped back, much to his relief.

_Please! I'm not jealous! I'm just...looking out for her, that's all!_

_I'm Sonic the Hedgehog! I don't get jealous..._

The blue speedster ran Amy and Sally back to the house, where the others were waiting for them. Some who had known Sally before, like Tails and Knuckles, gave the chipmunk tight hugs and light greetings; Cream, Rouge, Shadow, Silver, and Blaze haven't met her yet. Cream was the only one to hug Sally, enthused in making a new friend; Rouge jerked her chin up and smirked (but then again, a smirk was a normal smile in her book); Shadow gave his usual, "Hmph!" but it wasn't as cold as it could have been; Silver and Blaze each shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you guys," Sally told the group, waving her hands.

"Dude! Is this who Amy was talking about?" Silver exclaimed, smiling at his blue counterpart. "Pssh. And you got so worked up over it because you thought Amy was-"

Sonic clamped his hand over Silver's mouth, slowly turning his head to glare at the futuristic friend. From the look in Silver's eyes, he was definitely smiling wider.

"Boy oh boy, am I hungry!" Sonic announced, already racing to the food. Knuckles and Tails were already behind him.

* * *

Amy was just fixing herself a plate when she felt a presence behind her. It didn't take long for the rosy hedgehog to realize that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were hovering around her, Sonic and Knuckles peering around her arms and Tails peeking over her shoulder. Knuckles smirked, Tails smiled, and Sonic's gaze on hers was...lidded?

"Not that I don't love you guys, but is there a reason why you're smiling at me like you did something that I should know about?"

"Nope!" remarked Tails and Knuckles.

"Maybe we just wanna look at'cha," said Sonic simply.

Amy turned to face Sonic, mirroring his laidback lean. "Oh? And do you like what you see?"

"You crawled yourself into that one," Knuckles muttered smugly.

Keeping his cool however, Sonic shot Amy a wink, much to their absolute shock, and disappeared in a blue gust of wind.

"Amy!" Cream bounded happily over to the girl, who was now alone as Tails and Knuckles went to go make conversation with the others. "I saw you with Mr. Sonic!" The two friends giggled.

"Yeah, what was that about?" Rouge picked a grape off the vine.

Amy gave her two friends a look. "Were you two spying on me?"

Rouge blinked. "Honey, have you forgotten what I do for a living?"

Cream smiled, and so did Amy.

"Isn't this strange?"

"How so, Cream?"

"Well...normally, Mr. Sonic would panic and run away from you..." Cream tried to explain, turning to the ivory bat for help.

"But now he's flirting back..._before_ running away," Rouge finished, and Cream nodded. "Sounds like improvement to me, Pinky."

Amy blushed, now finding her plate interesting. "He...he always winks and...stuff."

Rouge shook her head, pursing her glossed lips.

_She's got a lot to learn._

* * *

"NOW THE PARTY DON'T START TIL_ I FLY IIIN_," Charmy Bee sang at the top of his lungs, buzzing in with an embarrassed Vector and Espio trailing behind him.

"Hey, everybody! Sorry we're late," Vector waved to the group, who waved back; Cream leaped up to hug each of them, she and Charmy swinging each other around in enthusiasm.

They were introduced to Sally, and then Vector and Charmy raced each other to the food table. Espio went to go talk to Shadow and Knuckles.

"Hey, Es! What took ya?" said Sonic.

"There was a major misunderstanding at the supermarket-" Espio started.

"Vector nearly beat up an old lady for the last pack of bacon!" Charmy guffawed.

"HEY, THAT WOMAN HAD A GOOD GRIP FOR HER AGE," Vector barked.

"Suuuuure, Vecky!"

"She didn't get hurt, did she?" Cream asked, genuinely concerned.

"Of course not, Creamy!" Charmy slung his arm over her shoulder. "Vector was just being a big _crybaby!"_

"SAY WHAT?! WHY I OUTTA-!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Easy, fellas!" Sonic laughed, holding up his hands.

"Yeah, Cream's still in the middle!" The rabbit met the embarrassed gaze of the kitsune, and she smiled at him. Tails blushed and added, "Y-You know, uh-'cause I-we-don't want anybody to get hurt, do we?"

"No, it's just you," said Knuckles, and Sonic elbowed him in the ribs.

Amy stepped in the middle, "You hurt her..." She whipped out her Piko Piko Hammer, causing Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles to yelp and jump back a few feet. "I _will_ use this."

Vector gulped.

"T-That won't be necessary!" Espio was quick to maintain the peace, waving his hands wildly.

"No, she's not kidding-she will use it!" Sonic exclaimed while he and his two best friends tried to get behind each other, neither wanting to be in the very front.

Amy giggled darkly.

* * *

**The action and romance picks up within the next few chapters! Bet'cha didn't know it was Sally, did you? I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**[ BE IN MIND, THAT MORE REVIEWS MEAN MORE UPDATES! LET'S GET THIS BABY UP TO 30! :} ]**


	4. That Bat

**Who's ready for chapter 4? :D**

**Special thanks to PoeticLover1996, who, had it not been for her, I would have eventually put a hiatus on writing these fics. You're my inspiration, girl! Stay awesome! *hugs***

**I also wanna thank everyone who reviewed. We're at 35 already! Holy crap! That's awesome! **

* * *

"SHAAAAAAAAADOOOOOOOOOW!"

Shadow stiffened. "What is it, kid?"

He had nothing against the youngster, but sometimes he was just too loud.

On the other side of the fence, Charmy absolutely _loved_ Shadow! He looked up to the dark hedgehog in many ways. He was brave, determined, cool, mysterious-the total package! Shadow may not think he's role model material, but Charmy did-and he still does.

"Why do you call me 'kid'?" Charmy asked him.

"Because you're younger," Shadow stated matter-of-factly.

"And you're like what, fifty?" Charmy snickered, and Shadow huffed. Realizing his mistake, Charmy was quick to start apologizing. "Oh Shadow, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean what I-!"

Shadow put up a hand, and Charmy closed his mouth. "You're alright." Shadow crossed his arms again, and the bee shot him a megawatt smile. "Look, kid...Charmy..."

"Uh huh?" Charmy beamed.

Shadow was going to say something; maybe it was to gently turn Charmy down for anything even remotely stupid, maybe it wasn't. But for some reason, all he could come up with a sigh and a hesitant, "...What do you want?"

Charmy rubbed his arm, his feet touching the ground for the first time in their conversation. "Just...wanted to see how you were doing..."

Shadow blinked. He wasn't expecting that.

"How I'm _doing_?" he repeated.

"Yeah! And, well, I was wondering if I could..." Charmy treaded nervously. "If we could...?"

Shadow waited with thinning patience. "Hm?"

"If we can...hang out sometime or something? Go on an adventure together?" Charmy finally finished, hope dancing in his eyes.

Shadow opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

"Don't you have your own team?" he attempted.

Charmy shrugged. "I've been with Vector and Espio for as long as I can remember! Besides...I wanna follow _you!_"

Shadow breathed slowly through his nose.

_Be nice, be nice, be nice..._

"I know you mean well...and I appreciate the thought but..." Shadow turned his back to him. "Once you know who I really am...you wouldn't want to be around me."

Charmy buzzed, lifting himself into the night air. "...Are you always this dramatic?"

"Hmph." Shadow almost smiled. Almost. "Take it or leave it."

Charmy artfully put a finger to his chin, appearing deep in thought. Shadow didn't even get to ten when Charmy exclaimed, "I'll take it! So is that a yes?"

Shadow caved. A smirk twitched at his lips.

"Hope you can keep up with me."

And with that, Shadow was off, with his future sidekick flying beside him.

* * *

After his morning run around Station Square, Sonic slowed down once he reached Mystic Ruins.

"Hm, I wonder what Tails is up to?" he wondered. "Well, guess I'll find out!"

Meanwhile, Tails was doing his normal tinkering in his workshop. He had always been an early fox, and he became ambitious when it came to his work.

"Hey, Cream, can you pass me the screwdriver?" Tails peaked his head out from underneath the Tornado.

Cream hopped up from the beanbag, walking over to Tails' red toolkit, which lay on the floor feet away from him. Bending over, she dug through the unfamiliar tools until she found what she was looking for, then leaned over to hand it to him. "Here you go, Miles!"

Tails flashed her a grin in thanks and disappeared again.

And that's when Sonic arrived.

"Hey, guys! What's going on?"

"Hey, Sonic!" Tails called, his yellow arm emerging in greeting, and Sonic high-fived him; Cream hopped into his arms for a hug. Tails popped out once more to add, "Amy's inside the house, making breakfast."

"Okay," said Sonic, giving Tails a thumbs-up and a wink.

_Why would he tell me that?_

Shrugging the thought off before he could dwell on it too much, Sonic pushed the door open and entered the house.

And his mouth dropped.

Amy turned around, hot steaming plate in her hands, and her face lit up. "Sonic!"

He had never seen her in pajamas before, let alone a cute apron to go with it. She wore a light purple, long-sleeved shirt (that reminded him of the rose he had given her some years back, a promise that he'll never leave her), the sleeves a bit too long, and a pair of shorts in a darker shade of purple. Her socks were polka dotted, much to his amusement, her quills pulled back and up.

"W-What's that I smell?" Sonic asked in a dreamy voice, taking in the pleasing aroma.

Amy smiled wider-if that was even possible-and set the plate down for him to see what was on it. Sonic, now reaching the table, gave out a not-so-manly squeal of glee and hunger.

"While I was making the donuts, I thought of you so...I made these just for you, Sonic!" Amy explained, taking off her apron.

"You made these for me?" Sonic lifted his gaze to her, and a faint blush stained her muzzle as she nodded. He licked his lips, his stomach already growling with anticipation; green eyes studied the deliciously decked out chilly donuts before he quickly snatched one and engulfed it down entirely, moaning in delight.

"Well?" Amy asked nervously.

"Oh my God..." Sonic moaned, eyes closed in pure bliss, unaware of what he was saying. "I love you so, _so_ much!"

"Careful, Sonic. Wouldn't want Knuckles to hear you say that!"

Sonic opened his eyes, snapped back into reality, oblivious to the blushing hedgehog next to him. "Wha-? Tails!"

The two-tailed fox giggled with his shorter companion, they going for the chocolate and strawberry glazed toppings instead.

"Thanks for making breakfast, Amy," Cream thanked her. "Mm...these are delicious! You always made the best donuts."

"Aww, it was nothing, Cream. It's the least I could do," Amy said back, picking up a strawberry donut with sprinkles.

The four friends ate their breakfast in mutual silence, having the occasional conversation every now and then.

After Tails was finished, he went back to his tinkering, and it wasn't surprising when Cream excused herself from the table mere moments later to go follow him.

"Whelp! That was fun," said Sonic, standing up to stretch. "Hate to rain on your parade, Amy, but this guy's gotta make like a banana and split!"

Amy frowned. She didn't want him to go.

"O-oh...-Hey!" she called out to him just as he lifted a foot, hand out in his direction.

"Uh?"

"Um..." Amy rubbed her arm, feeling another blush creep along her cheeks. "You'll be back, right?"

"Oh...Hm." Sonic scratched his nose. He couldn't _exactly_ promise that, per_ se,_ but he didn't want to upset her. An upset Amy made a very scared Sonic.

And that girl was as fast as he is when she had that hammer.

Sonic shuddered at the thought.

"Maybe," he said finally. "I'll be around." Before she could appear more crestfallen, he added, "Keep your arms warm for me when I get back!"

And after a wink and thumbs-up, Sonic was gone, leaving a suddenly very giggly Amy.

* * *

"Oof!"

"Hey! Watch where ya-! Oh_-crap-_Sal! We've _gotta_ stop running into each other like this!"

Embarrassed, Sonic held out a hand, helping Sally off the ground.

"It's alright, Sonic. What's up?" Sally asked, dusting herself off.

"Just left the Mystic Ruins. Didja know Amy can make some mean chilly donuts?"

"Chilly donuts?" Sally repeated, amusement sparkling her blue eyes. "Hmm, that's new."

"I know." Sonic got that dreamy look again.

"Yeeeeah, listen," Sally said, and Sonic nodded to let her know that he was listening. "Rouge told me that she wants me to meet up with her at this place called G.U.N. for lunch...Do you know where that is? I'm kinda lost."

"'Course! I'll take you there lickety-split," said Sonic.

He ran her to G.U.N.'s headquarters, then continued on, hoping to find an adventure...

* * *

"Rouge?" Sally called. "Rouge, where are you?"

"Well, well, well," Rouge came around the corner and Sally turned around. "If it isn't my favorite chipmunk."

"I think I'm the only chipmunk you know." Sally grinned.

Rouge returned it. "_Touche_." She looked over her shoulder at someone Sally couldn't see. "Will you hurry up?!" the ivory bat snapped impatiently.

Sally was surprised to see Shadow appear, he fixing his glare on his friend and partner.

"Rouge?" Sally piped up, and she felt his eyes on her then. "I thought it was just you and me?"

"It was until Shadow _insisted_ that he come with us," Rouge told her sweetly before giving Shadow a dark look that even he couldn't compete with. "Right, sweetie?"

Shadow sighed. "Since I don't have a choice."

Sally stifled a giggle behind her hand, following the two agents out of the building, Rouge leading and she trailing behind with Shadow.

"You really didn't have to come along, you know," she told him, keeping her voice low.

His red eyes narrowed at her. "If you didn't want me around, then you could have just said so."

"I didn't mean-"

"Then what _did_ you mean?"

They stopped walking then, staring each other down with a growing intensity.

"Just...trying to be nice here," Sally said slowly, beginning to walk again, her auburn hair bouncing with her firm stepping.

Frowning, Shadow kept pace with her.

"What is it now?" Sally demanded, noticing his staring.

"I...I'm sorry." Ugh. He hated apologizing. The words put a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn't good at this whole 'being nice' thing.

She noticed the troubled look on his face, in his eyes, and found his reluctance and difficulty to get the words out a bit comical. She's heard many stories about Shadow from Amy, so she was expecting this. She understood, even if she didn't know the entire truth.

She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.

Oh well. Who knows? They might actually become friends.

She opened her mouth to say something back in return, but he now walked ahead of her, never casting a look back to see if she still followed.

"...Or not," Sally thought out loud.

* * *

"Oh, Knuckieeee!"

Knuckles groaned, refusing to open his eyes. "This is all just a dream. A nightmare. Yeah, that's it. A nightmare. I'm having a nightmare. And any minute now I'll wake up in peace-"

"You do realize she's hanging right over your face, right?" Sonic's cocky voice called out.

_Oh...nooo..._

Knuckles opened one eye and regretted it, screaming bloody murder and scooting back on his butt as Rouge flirtatiously advanced on him.

"What's the matter? Not happy to see lil' ol' me after a long day of guarding that gorgeous emerald of yours?"

"I'm never happy to see you, Rouge," Knuckles snapped dishonestly, hopping to his feet, already on the defensive. But if she ever found out that he had been wondering where she had been all day, he'd kill himself. "What do you want?"

"Do you want me to answer that honestly?"

Knuckles' mouth dropped, suddenly going as red as his dreads.

Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Cream snickered from where they stood together.

"You. Let. Her. On. My. Island?" Knuckles started for Sonic, his voice coming through gritted teeth.

Amy put herself in front of Sonic before Knuckles could do any damage to her love, he looking down at her in surprise and-was that smugness?-as she retorted with, "Excuse you, but I don't see your name on it!"

"She told you," said Sonic cheekily, and Knuckles sent him daggers, retreating back a step nevertheless.

And nearly ran into Rouge in the process. Coming very close to her, er, well-developed bosom, Knuckles whirled around and struck a lame karate pose at her, his right arm and leg raised dramatically in the air, and even went as far as a high-pitched, "Hooooowwwwha!"

"So how was your lunch break with Sally and Mr. Shadow, Rouge?" Cream asked, and Knuckles lowered his stance, calming down a bit now that Rouge's attention had been averted.

"Well..." Rouge examined her nails. "Mr. Sour-hog was grumpy the whole time, but Sally wasn't bothered by him. A doll, isn't she?"

"Where are they now?" asked Tails curiously.

Rouge smirked. "I made him walk her home."

* * *

**Oh Rouge. Gotta love that bat, huh? XD I enjoy writing her, and I hope you like the way she's written!**

**You'll definitely be seeing more of her, that's for sure!**

**Who thinks we can get up to 40 reviews for the next round? LEGGO!**


	5. Boy Oh Boy

**Hey all! I can't believe we exceeded the goal limit for chapter 4! I'm so happy! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this :3**

**Enjoy chapter 5!**

* * *

"Do you think the flowers are in bloom?" Cream asked from her perch by the window, swinging her legs.

"They probably are, Cream. The weather's warm enough," Tails answered out of the five of them, flashing her a grin that she instantly returned.

"One of these days we're going out for a picnic!" Amy sang, hands clasped together. Cream beamed at her best friend while Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles simultaneously arched their eyebrows and threw her a look. "Yes, I said _we._ Meaning_ you three._"

"Do I look like I wanna waste my time sitting around and eating finger foods?" Knuckles regarded the pink hedgehog with a deep frown.

"Knuckles, that's mean," Cream gave him a disapproving look, hurt gracing her soft features.

Tails' face fell at the look on the rabbit's face, the first of the three males willing to crack and bend at her every will. "Well...the weather _is_ nice-"

_"No,"_ Sonic joined in with Knuckles this time, voicing his opinion.

"What?" Tails asked innocently."The girls have a valid point. We just got Amy back, and the five of us haven't had any one-on-one time, ya know? I think we should go! Who knows? I-It might be fun..." The dark looks his two best friends were now sending in his direction made him shrink back a little, his voice now quiet. "-or not."

Smiling, Cream hopped down and practically skipped over to the two-tailed kitsune, arms wrapping around his neck for leverage so she could lean up and properly give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Heh..hum...uh?" Tails blushed, laughing and stammering.

"Don't worry, Tails. You can come if you want. We don't need party poopers one and two to have a good time!" Amy piped up, huffing stubbornly.

"Hey!"

"-Wait, who's one and who's two?"

"Does it _matter?"_ Knuckles snorted.

"It does to me, this is a _very_ important question!" Sonic turned onto the echidna dramatically.

"Boys, enough!" Amy got up, and Sonic and Knuckles automatically winced, fearing her possible wrath. "Sonikku," she addressed him, and he braced himself, "you're _always_ number one in my book."

Sonic gulped, and the faintest of blushes stained his cheeks, his eyes a little wider than usual.

"Anyways, I'm not forcing anyone to do anything. It was a silly suggestion..."

Sonic frowned at the sudden crestfallen look on her face, the weird churning in his stomach returning to the pit. He didn't like seeing her upset, especially if it was his fault in some way.

"Amy, wait-" He closed his eyes, managing to stop her from creating more space between them-something he'd been dreading lately. Tightening his eyelids before opening them, he sighed and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "I'll...I'llgotoyourstupidpicnic."

His words strung together some, but she hung onto every word, her jade eyes brightening in hope. "Really?"

He barely got to nodding when she glomped him, burying her face in his chest. "Oh Sonic! We're going to have so much fun together!"

Once again, she was pressed flush against him, and he was painfully reminded that she was a girl. She was getting better at the whole hugging thing at least (he's finally able to breathe for once) and each time he wanted to return her embraces with enthusiasm. He owed her that much.

"Yeah...uh huh," he said through a tight smile.

Just then, the sky got dark. Uncharacteristically.

_Thank Chaos._

"What's that?" Amy and the others rushed to the window.

Sonic instinctively moved himself in front of her. "_Eggman_."

The Blue Blur was right. One of Eggman's fleets was moving steadily over the house, so huge that it blocked the sunlight entirely.

"What do we do?" Tails asked his brother.

"Where is it going?" Cream wondered out loud.

"Looks like he's heading for Station Square..." Sonic mused, gaining a confident smirk. "Heh-heh." This day just keeps getting _better!_

And before anyone could stop him, Sonic was already gone, leaving the door wide open.

"Sonic-!" Amy called out in distress. "Oh..." she pouted, drawing her hand to her chest. "Guess some old habits die hard, huh?"

"C'mon, Knuckles! Maybe we can catch up with him!" Tails called, already taking off towards his workshop, and Knuckles tore after him eagerly.

"What are we going to do, Amy?" Cream asked her friend.

Amy got a determined look in her eyes, her hand slowly balling into a fist. Sonic wasn't just gonna leave her like that without her doing something about it.

"Follow me," she said.

**Station Square**

"Hey, ugly! Tell your boss we've got a message for 'em!"

One of Eggman's newest bots in the E-family turned around, briefly distracted from its current mission: find the hedgehog.

Whelp, E-468 Gamma found it...and it's friends. There were three of them, all smirking; the yellow one's eyes twinkled with adrenaline waiting to be released, the red one would have scared the bot if it had feelings, and the blue one was the cockiest of them all.

"Bring it on!" Sonic exclaimed, and knocked the bot to the side with a simple Spin Attack. The smaller eggbots filed out, weapons in hand. No more than twenty of them. "Hm! Piece of cake!"

The battle ensued.

Knuckles faced attacks head-on. Tails used his...well, tails to his advantage. And Sonic zipped right through them all. They used their team formations when necessary, which was very little. Team Blasts were saved for later times. This? So wasn't one of them.

What Sonic didn't understand was that the eggbots kept coming.

"These things just keep on comin'!" Knuckles broadcasted his thoughts in the midst of getting into their Thunder Shoot form.

"We can take 'em! C'mon, guys, let's show 'em what we're made of!"

Meanwhile, on a rooftop not far from the battle below...

"We should help them."

"No."

Sally narrowed her eyes. "Are you kidding? Look at them! They need our help!"

"They can handle themselves just _fine_," Shadow told her calmly. Personally he thought that Sally worried too much-she had that in common with Rose.

"Rouge?" Sally turned to her friend, who was sitting with her legs dangling off the edge.

"Eh, let them sweat," Rouge finished applying her lip gloss, missing the way Sally's nostrils flared when she got out her mascara. Shadow smirked. "Don't give me that look, honey." She caught something pink in her peripheral and smirked too. "'Sides, help is already on the way."

Sally was about to ask when she saw it too.

"Heads up!"

Team Sonic was able to crane their necks enough to see Amy, Cream, and Blaze fall out of fly formation. Sonic's eyes widened at the new look Amy was now sporting; a different red dress, a lot more sporty and durable, with wrappings on her arms and legs, and sneakers.

"Hey, ya big bag of bolts!" Amy stood to her feet, meeting Sonic's gaze as she slung her hammer over her shoulder. "Give Sonniku to me, or I'll squash ya!"

Sonic grinned. It seemed like it was only yesterday when their roles were reversed. And now here she was, ready to save _him_.

The Gamma stilled at the new target, and Amy took the opportunity to bring her hammer up, knocking the eggbot over and thus releasing Sonic from his uncomfortable prison.

Hopping down, Sonic dusted himself off and smiled playfully at the beaming hedgehog. "Jeez, Amy, what took ya so long?"

"I had to look my best for you, silly!" Amy gushed, completely forgetting that she should be mad at him for leaving her earlier. "Do you like?" She balances her hammer on her shoulder again, giving him a pirouette so he could check out her outfit from every angle.

And boy did he, much against his will.

If you told ten year old Sonic he would someday check Amy out, he'd panic and run away.

If you told fifteen year old Sonic he would someday check Amy out, he'd joke about how that will never happen and eat a chilly dog.

If you told eighteen year old Sonic he would someday check Amy out, he'd blush and stammer like a fool but would do it regardless.

And he's doing it right now. Openly. In the middle of a fight.

"Yo, lovehogs, you can flirt with each other some other time!" Knuckles barked, he and Blaze back to back.

"We can use some assistance over here!" Blaze added, flames forming in her hands. One thing she and Knuckles had in common? They definitely had a temper on them. Anything Eggman-related was a good outlet.

Sonic and Amy looked at each other and blushed, clearing their throats and shifting awkwardly from side to side.

_Damn it, Knuckles!_ Amy cursed grumpily. _I was so sure he was looking! He was gonna finally notice me..._

A gentle nudge from her hero had her looking up in surprise. Sonic then stepped right in front of her, letting his eyes travel in a way that made Amy feel like she was...well, _naked_. He looked so intense...Was he liking what he was seeing?

Their eyes met again, and Sonic, loosing his grip on his bottom lip, grinned and wagged his eyebrows at her before he dashed away, leaving her standing there yet again for the second time that day.

Shadow snorted, turning smugly to the chipmunk next to him. "What were you saying about helping them?"

* * *

**I hope you all are having a wonderful Memorial Day :] Figured that an update is long overdue.**


	6. Progress

**_We're at fifty already? _Guys, this means the world to me! Thank you so much!**

* * *

Sonic let out a sound of frustration.

"Um, what are you doing?" Knuckles demanded from behind him.

"I have _nothing_ to _wear!"_

Both Knuckles and Tails stared at their blue friend with a mixture of concern and amusement. Even Sonic thought over what he just said and went, "Huh. Never thought I'd say that."

"Maybe it's because you don't wear anything at all?" Tails pointed out.

"Yeah, none of us do," Knuckles added.

"Huh. I wonder why that is?" Sonic pondered, and the very subject made the three friends pause and think for a really long time.

"_Anyway_," Knuckles broke the silence, and the other two snapped out of it. "What you wanna dress up for? Is it that stupid picnic Amy's making us go to?" Sonic kept his back turned. "It _is_ that stupid picnic Amy's making us go to, isn't it?"

Sonic hesitated. "Well..." He fiddled with a random hanger. "I've turned her down so many times for dates and been a jerk to her in general. I owe it to her, ya know?" There was nothing wrong with being nice to the one girl who loves you more than anything, right? Not like it had any indication to the feelings that were currently bubbling under the surface.

Right?

"Yeah, but this is not a date. We're just having a tea party."

"Picnic," Tails piped up with Sonic in unison.

"What_ever!"_

"I think I know where Sonic is coming from, Knuckles. Sonic always ditched Amy whenever she asked him out for dates, or even the simplest things. Don't cha think that Amy is a bit scared that he'll do it again?"

Knuckles hated it when Tails had a point.

"Okay, okay. But that doesn't mean he has to dress like a dork."

"Girls like dorks. Right, Tails?" Sonic winked.

Tails blushed. "Y-Yeah, d-heeeey!"

:~:

"Amy?"

Amy paused from her packing, smiling brightly as the petite rabbit walked into the kitchen area, wearing her pretty sundress. Amy's was white with red flowers on them.

"Are you alright?" Cream asked in genuine concern.

"Who, me? Of course! I'm never better! What makes you think I'm not?"

"Because you've been trying to pack the sandwich bags _inside_ the sandwiches for the past two minutes." Blaze came into the room, arms crossed as she studied Amy closely. She wasn't going on the picnic, but the feline was very observant.

Amy stared down at her hands, realizing that her friend was right. Cream joined her and helped the hedgehog right her wrongs, Amy very pink in the face, putting her fur to shame.

"I'm sorry," Amy apologized. "I guess I'm just nervous. I just...I have this feeling that things are gonna be different this time, ya know?"

"What makes you say that?" Cream got the juice pouches out of the refrigerator as she spoke, honestly curious.

Amy sighed happily, "I don't know..." She smiled up at the ceiling. "Just a feeling."

:~:

_Knock knock knock_

"Who is it, please?" Cream called out.

_"The fastest thing alive!"_ a male voice said from the other side, and both Amy and Cream got excited. _"I'm here to pick up a couple of friends. Something about a, uh, picnic?"_

"We'll be right there, Sonic!" Amy called, racing to the door. _He's here, he's really here! Sonic, you came! I knew you would..._

Smoothing down her dress and checking herself out in the mirror, Amy opened the door, with Cream coming behind her, basket in hand.

And there he stood, in all his handsome glory.

And he was...clothed?

He wore a fresh polo shirt, the first two buttons popped open; freshly pressed jeans that fit him, but were loose enough for a run; and his normal running shoes.

Tails and Knuckles were dressed up too! (Even if Knuckles looked like he would have much rather came here the way he was born.) Tails wore a white button-down with a navy cardigan over that, khaki shorts, and his shoes; and...was he seriously wearing glasses? His red friend wore a yellow tank, camo pants, and his shoes.

"Sonic, you made it!" Amy squealed, restraining herself from glomping him where he stood. His smile widened when she acknowledged him, and her heart fluttered.

"You all look very nice." Cream smiled at each of them.

"Yeah, don't get used to it," Knuckles grumbled, and the other two shot him a look.

"_Thanks_, Cream," Sonic said to her, and Cream giggled.

"Are ya ready to go?" Tails asked.

"We are! We hope you haven't been waiting long..." Cream walked down the porch, Amy not far behind. Tails exchanged the basket for her hand, much to the rabbit's delight, and gave it to Knuckles.

"Why do I have to carry the basket?!" Knuckles exclaimed as the other four laughed and walked ahead of him.

"Don't be such a hothead, hothead." Sonic turned around to walk backwards, laughing at Knuckles' expression, Amy giggling beside him and clinging to his arm.

He doesn't mind that. For the moment being anyway.

* * *

They reached the picnic spot, which had a fantastic view of the ocean. At the sight of water, Sonic got a little queasy, but when Amy grabbed his hand and tugged him along he was quick to forget about his phobia. Sure, he saw water all the time during his travels, and even stopped every once in a while to admire the view before he ran on, but that didn't mean he never got a little nervous.

Amy's hand felt nice. It was warm, small, and slender, something he wasn't able to notice with gloves. Up until this point, he and Amy haven't really touched. The one time they ditch their gloves, and all of a sudden it was kinda more intimate. It felt... nice.

Okay, so he's not good with adjectives, give him a break.

He wasn't gonna tell her that either.

Tails and Cream were so at ease with each other, always touching. When they weren't holding hands, an arm or a leg would be brushed against the other. A gentle nudge here, a playful push there. How could Tails stand being close to a girl all the time?

Maybe because Cream is like hot chocolate. She makes everyone feel warm and comfortable.

Amy was a frickin' ocean. Just water in general. Like the element, she made him nervous and just all Willy Wonky in the head.

But she had her special traits too. She was witty and funny, especially now since he can tease her about her height, brave and instinctive like he was, but also reckless and stupid-

Kinda like he was.

Always going out of her way to please him, to be around him, to literally throw herself in danger for him. Why does she do that? Why does she keep him worried all the time when he's not around her?

Why does this bother him so much?

"Sonic!"

_Crap, she was talking._

"Huh? Sorry, zoned out for a bit there. What didja say? Good sandwiches by the way." Heh. Rhymes.

"It's okay, Sonikku. Of course, there must be a lot on your mind, especially since Eggman's ambush the other day." And there she goes, forgiving him _again_. And now that she mentioned it, he was now thinking about it!

Amy wiped the crumbs off her dress and continued. "Anyways, like I was saying...What made you decide to wear clothes?" She smiled at him.

_Because of you._ "Eh," Sonic shrugged a shoulder.

"Does it make you uncomfortable when you run?"

_Of course it does, but I ain't telling you that. Do guys really have to wear pants? Humans are so weird! And when you run, these babies tend to ride up in the crotch area and-_

"Eh." He shrugged again.

"Well...you look handsome." Amy folded her hands together, smiling bashfully at him.

_If by handsome, you mean 'ridiculous', then yes, I'm a frickin' sex god._ "Thanks."

He felt like he should say something else. Short word answers can only last for so long with Amy, and she's either going to get really irritated or really impatient. Or both.

So Sonic looked around, hoping to find an outlet. A subject to talk about.

When his eyes fell on something in particular, he grinned. It was perfect.

"Nice place you found, Ames. How'd you come across it?"

"Oh!" And there she goes, bursting into one of her infamous babbles that he would tune out on a normal day. The heat was getting to him, so he takes off the shirt, nodding and humming when she looked at him expectantly. During the removal he noticed smugly that her voice faltered slightly from watching him. The shirt he wore under the polo was a white muscle tee; so much more his style, despite the simplicity.

While Amy continued on and on (and on, and _on_), Sonic plucked from the grass and began to lean. Automatically noticing his sudden advances, Amy stopped talking altogether and watched his movements with wide eyes.

Instead of kissing her, like he knew she was expecting to happen (_baby_ steps, Ames), he reached up and scooted closer, one hand just above her headband while his free one slipped a white flower in there, making sure he tucked it in firmly.

Amy gasped, her hands flying to her head as he scooted back, smug grin on his face. "Oh, Sonic!"

"Thought something was missing." He winked, and she giggled.

"Sonic, I love it!" _And I love you, so so much!_ "How do I look?"

"Uh-" _Say something smart, say something smart_-"pretty. You, uh, look very pretty."

_Progress, my friends._

Amy settles for that answer, because she beams and blushes-a very nice combination on her, he has to admit-and looks away to admire the view.

Sonic does to, but the view he was admiring was pink and green, not blue and yellow. Amy stood and began walking towards the edge of the cliff, and, unable to stop himself, he got up and followed her.

Placing her hand on a tree, she stopped and looked out to the ocean. Sonic gave her space, but stopped just behind her all the same, curious to know what got her so quiet.

"He's out there, isn't he?" She finally spoke after a minute or two, the breeze ruffling through her quills and dancing around the skirt of her dress.

And that's when Sonic got it.

"Are you scared?" Sonic asked in a shockingly serious tone, coming up to stand beside her.

Amy looked over at him, never breaking her gaze from his as she shook her head; her fingers laced through his, and he didn't complain. "Not right now."

:~:

"BLAZE!"

"Uh?" Blaze turned around, briefly distracted to find the source of the voice. This was her mistake, because a sock to the jaw sent her tumbling to the floor.

"Never turn your back on your enemy," Shadow mocked in reminder, rolling his eyes as Silver ran over to the feline.

"Blaze! Are you okay?" Silver helped her sit up, but she slapped his hand away.

"You distracted me. What do you want?" Blaze demanded grumpily, getting to her feet on her own. Silver joined her sheepishly.

"Sally told me you were here, so-"

"Typical," Shadow muttered.

"I thought I'd drop by," he finished, and Blaze could have sworn he just went pink. But she couldn't be sure because the color was gone as soon as it came. "What's got you here, at G.U.N. of all places?"

"Well," Shadow tossed her a bottle of water, she drinking it before continuing, "Amy and Cream are off on their lunch date-"

"Lunch date?"

"-so Rouge called me up to hang in the training room with her and Shadow for a while."

"Where is that bat anyway?"

"With Sally," Shadow answered before Blaze could.

"Oh." Silver shifted awkwardly. "Have room for one more sparring partner?"

Blaze smiled at him, but then looked over at Shadow for confirmation. Shadow sighed and nodded, uttering something on the lines of, "gonna go see what's keeping them" and left the two future friends alone.

"Ready to get your butt kicked?" Blaze asked smugly, flames now blazing in her hands (pun so very intended).

Silver grinned back, his own telekinetic powers kicking in as he raised his glowing hands. "You _wish_!"

* * *

**Hm, I wonder who will win? That's all up to the reader really xD I want to give a special shoutout to PoeticLover1996 for her constant love and support. You're the best, girl!**

**And for the rest of you all, I deeply appreciate the feedback this story has been given. It means a lot, and I can tell this story is gonna go far.**

**See you all in the next chapter! :]**


	7. Yoga

**Hey everyone! I'm really glad you all like the story so far. (Am I sounding repetitive? Probably.)**

***Regarding Shadow punching Blaze, I think it's best if I clarify that they were sparring earlier, most likely wearing training gloves instead; so when Blaze got distracted by you-know-who, guess who took that open opportunity to strike?**

**Don't worry, guys. Shadow's not gonna be an entire jerk in this fic; he's just the dark humor/sass in the gang. Everybody's got their part, right? :D**

* * *

Sonic peeped his head inside. "Amy?"

"In here, Sonic!"

He followed the sound of her voice, looking around as he walked; eyes appraising what she called home. It was so vibrant, so open, so ... -_ pink_.

But then again, should he really be surprised?

Coming around the corner and into her living room, Sonic's eyes bulked out of his head as he took in the scene before him: Amy, clad in her workout clothes, was stretching in a very peculiar position that made him tilt his head - and half of his body weight - to see her smiling face.

"Hi!" a perky Amy said, beaming up at him through the gap between her legs that she had created.

Um.

"Hi-iii," Sonic had drawn out, eyebrows scrunching down and mouth falling open. His voice failed him for a few seconds. "What're you even -? - do I even wanna - whatthehellareyoudoing?"

"Yoga, of course," Amy said simply, arching her back and flipping her legs over her head; out of all the ways she could of got up and she just _had_ to - "Too bad you weren't here ten minutes ago. You could've helped me stretch." She winked at him flirtatiously.

Sonic began choking on thin air, and Amy giggled.

"You're crazy," Sonic said, shaking his head.

"I know." Amy beamed at him, restraining the urge to glomp him. "But you make me do crazy things."

Cue the sweatdrop. "...Heh."

"Have you ever done yoga before, Sonikku?"

"Yoga? Sounds like a baby trying to say 'yogurt'."

Amy huffed, and Sonic's lips quivered. "It's like working out, but slower, and-"

"Sorry, Ames, but this guy doesn't_ d o_ slow. I'm out!"

"Sonic-!" Amy whined, catching him by the arm, and he sighed, turning around to hear her out. "It's amazing, really. It's...you_ have_ to try it! Please?"

_"Hmm - "_ Sonic hummed in disbelief. But when she started pouting that's when he drew the line. "As long as this isn't another trick to get me to accept your hand in marriage - and _no_," he added when she opened her mouth.

Amy pressed her lips together, but she was smiling.

And so was he.

:~:

"This is boring."

"You're not even doing it right!"

"And you wonder why I don't associate slowness with words that sound like food!"

Amy inhaled slowly through her nose, and exhaled through her mouth. Deeply.

"That is because your position is rigid. You're too stiff."

He detected the sudden gentleness in her tone and eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah...?"

"Are you relaxed?"

"Stuck like this? I'm peachy."

"Sonikku..." Amy fought another smile as she walked over to his mat, coming up behind him. "You need to relax."

He could feel her breath tickling his ear, and he resisted the urge to shudder. Then, he felt soft hands on his shoulders; barely touching him, but obviously initiating contact.

"Think of how it feels when you run. How the wind blows through your quills. The exhilarating feeling you get." Amy's voice could be pretty therapeutic when she wasn't being creepy. And he startled himself further when he _does_ relax. Because he's thinking about the one thing in the world that he loves doing. Running. "The adrenaline rush, saving the world. Being a hero. Makes you happy, right?"

"And the chilly dogs? - don't forget the chilly dogs."

Amy smiled, giggling softly. "Yes, chilly dogs. Fresh, hot, and _covered_ in melted cheese."

"Ooohh..." Sonic's eyes drooped. "That's a nice visual. Yep."

"Now, focus on that, okay?"

"Okay..."

Amy slid back into her place on her mat, slipping back into her previous position.

"And Amy?"

"Yeah?"

His grin at her was dopey. "Can you make me a chilly dog after this?"

:~:

Of course she did.

:~:

"Sonic?"

"What's up?"

Amy faintly blushed. "What...what made you come see me today?"

"Uh?"

"I mean..." She licked her lips nervously. "You almost _never_ drop by to visit me."

_Is she seriously guilt-tripping me right now?_ "Uh...I don't know? - I was in the neighborhood anyways." He shrugged a shoulder, nonchalant as he licked the cheese off his fingers.

"You're always in the neighborhood, silly." Amy turned around to smile at him, and he was about to return the expression when her face fell. "I'm just surprised that you dropped by _this_ one."

"Where did you expect me to be?" He smirked confidently at her from out of the corner of his eye. And avoiding the question.

"Out there - after Eggman."

Oooooh. "No doubt you'd be after_ me_. Ha! I just got the sick irony! You're after me, who's after Eggman, who's probably after you, but then again he's after me too - so he's probably after the both of us - and he's only after _you_ because you're after_ me_ which makes _me_ go after _him_!" Throughout his apparent epiphany and wild gestures, Amy could only stare, dumbfounded yet fascinated and concerned at the same time. And by the time he was done, his arms were crossed in so many directions that Amy could only make out his pointer fingers aiming at the ceiling.

The glow in Sonic's eyes flattened once he realized what he just said. "Dude, that's messed up."

"That's a good way of summing up things!" Amy said in fake enthusiasm.

"Well somebody's gotta do it, right?"

"Not you," Amy shook her head.

He missed her point. "You're right. We'll leave it to Tails to do all the nerdy work. Any more thinkin' and my head's gonna explode."

"Sonic-" _Don't whine, don't whine_ \- the pink hedgehog circled around the table, sitting across from him to look at him sincerely. "That's not what I meant."

"You lost me."

"You don't have to be the hero all the time. How do you know he's not just passing through?"

"Amy, you know Eggman never 'passes through' anything. He'll most likely wobble-"

"I'm serious!" Okay, so she's whining a little. "Whenever Eggman comes along you drop everything and just...go!"

Gotta go fast. "What do you expect me to do? People could get hurt, Amy."

If she's implying what he thinks she's implying, then she can forget it. 'Cause there's no way that he was gonna slow down!

Amy recognized the look before it started spreading. Sonic was seconds away from running.

"What I mean," she placed her hand on top of his, "is that I'm not the same girl that I was back then. If you're going, then I'm going too."

Sonic looked down at their hands, then back into her eyes. He wanted to open his mouth and say no, that it was dangerous, that she could get hurt, and he could never forgive himself if she did.

_Whoa...That's deep, dude._

_I know! I'm so poetic_.

The blue hero took a good look at the pink girl sitting across from him; the very girl who chased him down constantly, annoyed him, loved on him when it was unnecessary-

The same girl who was selfless, determined, and stuck by him even when he was being stubborn and awkward about it; but could you blame him? He was trying to save the universe from the Metarex, not have her babies!

_Wait...what?_

The same girl who was in the room with him now; older, admittedly attractive...-er (sue him, he can make up words), a little better with the whole 'personal space' thing, making him feel all weird when he was around her...

Okay that last part was always there, but now it was heightened to the point where even Sonic couldn't always run away from these feelings anymore.

What were these feelings, anyway?

"Nothin' stopped ya before," he said finally, flashing her a grin, and she squeezed his hand in enthusiasm.

Just then, both of their communicators went off, and Amy withdrew her hand so they both could look at their wrists.

"Knuckles?" the two said simultaneously.

_"Guys..." _Knuckles said from the other line, and for once he actually sounded a little...worried.

_"What's wrong, Knuckles?"_ Tails said from his end.

:~:

"You might wanna see this," Knuckles slowly lowered his wrist, his purple eyes falling on the peach colored figure on the ground.

The body of a female echidna.

* * *

**More characters coming in! Next chapter: we get more Chaotix. Who doesn't love those three? :] **

**As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! **


	8. An Old Ally Returns

**Yo :]**

**How are my lovelies doin'? Good? Awesome.**

**Personally, I think this chapter is O K, but I'll leave that up to you as the readers 'cause I trust your judgement. Read on!**

* * *

"Is she dead?"

"No, Charmy."

Espio had been the only one to bother answering the young bee, for Vector was lacking patience, and Knuckles' vein was pulsing. The Chaotix stared down at the unconscious girl, who they had moved inside and set on a table.

Espio, who stood the closest to the girl's head, started asking the logical questions. "Where did she come from?"

"...I don't know," Knuckles admitted.

"How did you find her?"

"...I don't know."

"How long had she been unconscious?"

"...I don't know that either."

"Have you checked for head injuries or-"

"Let's just assume that for every question my answer will be, 'I don't know', 'cause_ I don't know!"_ Knuckles snapped.

And that's when Sonic, Amy, and Tails arrived; Sonic set Amy down, and she walked between the two of them as the trio entered in a synchronous stride.

"Finally," Knuckles sighed impatiently.

"Nice to see you too," Sonic retorted, and Amy giggled. "Now what's going on?"

"Knuckles found a dead body!" Charmy exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the latter.

"I did not!"

Tails put a finger to his lips and the room went silent. The kitsune walked up to where the echidna lay, hands hovering over her face as he examined her.

"Uh?" Sonic got a closer look at the girl. "Oh..."

"Am I the only one getting familiar vibes from this girl?" Amy whispered.

"...Weird," Knuckles muttered.

"She does seem familiar," Tails said studiously.

Sonic snapped his fingers together. "I got it! It's that girl who kept giving me visions of the past. She helped me defeat Chaos, remember?" The other three nodded.

"Yeah, and she gave me a special necklace," Tails nodded.

"And she helped me escape Eggman's base before I found you two," Amy added.

"Yeah, she showed me visions too," Knuckles put in, and the four friends formed a group huddle.

"What was her name though? I can't remember..."

"It's at the tip of my tongue! What is it?"

"I...I don't know..."

"Her name started with a T, right?"

"She's waking up!"

This time it's Charmy who spoke, noticing Espio watching her with a thoughtful look. And he was right. She _was_ waking up; coming to with a soft groan, she clutched her forehead as if it pained her and sat up slowly.

"Ow..."

"Hey," Sonic waved a hand, and her blue eyes settled on him. "Remember us?" He gestured towards the other three.

"Sonic the Hedgehog..." she said slowly, a smile forming as she lowered her hand. "Of course I remember you and your friends. It's nice to see you all again - and together."

Sonic grinned. He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that the growing companionship with Tails, Knuckles, _and_ Amy was no coincidence.

"May I ask who you are?" Tails asked politely.

"Tikal the Echidna, daughter of Chief Pachacamac-" Charmy: "Pack-of-whata?" -"He enforced wars between our tribes and I had to put a stop to it. I sacrificed myself to the Master Emerald to protect everyone and my soul and Chaos were sucked inside of it. I've been keeping Chaos at bay since then...Until, of course, the Doctor disturbed that peace. I had to help you all in any way I could. What most don't understand is that those who don't learn from history will be doomed to repeat it."

Tikal swung her legs over but didn't stand just yet. "This is most likely the reason why I'm here before you now. It's my destiny to help you all keep the world safe. Threat is indeed imminent."

"But wouldn't the Master Emerald have to be broken for you to be free?" Knuckles asked suspiciously.

"I do not know, Knuckles. Perhaps we can look ourselves? We might be able to find the answers that you seek."

"You talk funny," Chaney said bluntly.

Tikal's gaze focused on him. Amused. "Well, I am four thousand years old, give or take a few years." She smiled.

"Ignore him. We normally do," said Vector.

"Hey!"

"ANYWAY. I'm Vector, that's Charmy, and Espio. We're the Chaotix." Vector puffed out his chest in pride.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Tikal nodded. "Can one of you help me stand?" She was still feeling a little weak in the knees, since her use of her spirit form prevented her from using her legs most of the time.

Espio held out a hand and she smiled at him, taking it genuinely. She used him for leverage as she got to her feet, wobbling a little as she got used to standing.

"Thank you," Tikal said as he let her go, and Espio nodded curtly. "Now," she smoothed down her skirt. "Shall we go then?"

:~:

Silver was practicing his powers, now levitating Blaze off the ground; her body was parallel to the floor, her golden eyes watching him and his hand movements closely.

"Remember, Silver, concentrate," she reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Silver said, still annoyed at her for beating him in their spar. Again.

Blaze smirked. "Something bothering you?"

"Shut up!"

"You're being ridiculous."

"Says the cheater."

"I did not cheat!"

"That's what any other cheater would say!"

"You're being immature!"

"You're immature!"

"You're being immature by calling me immature!"

Silver's eyes darkened. "I _will_ drop you."

Blaze gritted her teeth. "You. Wouldn't. Dare."

Shadow sighed heavily as he stood just outside the training room, watching the two through the one-way mirror.

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" Rouge spoke up from beside him, a sly grin on her face.

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Honey-"

"Absolutely not. You and me, that's all we need. No one's gonna replace Omega."

"But we've been out of sync for years. We need him. He's good. And you know it."

Shadow looked over at her, and Rouge stared him down; crossing her own arms to mock him. His eyes traveled, fully studying her, then returned his gaze to the futuristic hedgehog; by then, Blaze was exiting the room and Silver blasted the obstacles in his way.

Finally he sighed and nodded.

Then his communicator went off. Shadow lifted his wrist to his mouth just as Sally walked up to them, and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. "What?"

_"SHADOW!"_ Charmy squealed from the other line.

Shadow arched an eyebrow. "Charmy."

_"Glad I caught ya! Knuckles found a dead body-"_

_"She is not dead!"_ Knuckles barked in the background.

_"-And we kinda need some assistance-"_

_"-No we don't!"_

There was a struggle, and then Shadow saw Amy's annoyed face in the screen. _"Just get here."_ And the connection ended.

"Well," Rouge smirked. "Looks like we're going to Angel Island."

_"We?"_ Shadow deadpanned.

_"We?"_ Sally echoed.

"Not her." Shadow shook his head at Rouge.

Sally's mouth dropped.

"Actually," Rouge interjected before Sally could argue. _"You two_ are going. _I'm_ staying behind to talk to Silver." She winked. "Have fun, babes."

She left before either could stop her.

Sally met Shadow's gaze, neither parties exactly comfortable with the new arrangements.

"Well?" Sally stopped walking when she noticed that he wasn't following her. "C'mon. Let's go so we can catch the next train."

"We don't need the train," Shadow shook his head as he spoke, pulling out a Chaos Emerald; she eyed him suspiciously when she was beckoned, but inched closer to him anyway. "You've ever experienced Chaos travel?"

"No...?"

"Then you might want to hold on to me." Sally started to put her arms around him, but then stopped mid-embrace, still eyeing him warily. Rolling his eyes, Shadow slipped an arm around her and lifted the Chaos Emerald into the air.

"Chaos...Control!"

:~:

Knuckles and Tikal stood side by side, their hands outstretched towards the Master Emerald as they concentrated; Sonic, Amy, and Tails stood just off to the side, giving them space. Espio and Charmy were the only Chaotix members left.

Shadow and Sally arrived, but luckily they didn't break the echidnas' focus. Charmy glomped Shadow when he saw him; Shadow glared over Charmy's shoulder as Sally shimmied out of the way, twiddling her fingers at him as she left him with the exuberant bee.

"I have foreseen..." Knuckles said finally in an ominous tone, and Sonic snorted.

Tikal lowered her arms, and they both opened their eyes.

"What happened?" Amy asked, and Tikal turned to face her with friendly eyes.

"It looks like I will be staying. For a long time."

"So what you're saying is that once we defeat Eggman again...you'll stay?" Tails wanted to clarify, and Tikal nodded. "Will you be able to, you know, age with us?"

"It is likely," Tikal answered him with a nod.

"Sweet!" Sonic held up a thumbs up. "Glad you'll be stickin' around. Now let's get cracka-lackin'!"

"No, no!" Amy interjected, and they all looked at her with odd looks. "Not after we go shopping and get some food in her," she added firmly with that don't-take-no-for-an-answer tone that the boys knew too well by now.

"Ooh," Sally beamed. "This is gonna be fun!"

* * *

**Next chapter: Sonic, Amy, and Tails take to the skies! I apologize for the lack of sonamyness in this chapter. I'll make up for it in the next, so sit tight ;]**


	9. If I Fall

**I believe it's around that time for an update! Here ya go. Fasten your seatbelts!**

* * *

"Good luck on your trip, you two! Please be careful...Oh! And sometimes it gets cold, so make sure you bring a sweater or a warm scarf!"

Tails chuckled. "Will do! Thanks, Cream. We'll be back in no time!"

"Ya ready?" Sonic hopped in his usual seat, fastening his brown scarf around his neck.

"Where did ya get that, Sonic?" Tails asked.

"Amy," Sonic said simply with a shrug. The two youngsters started grinning and he hastily added, "She got it for me when she took Tikal shopping! Don't get it twisted!"

"Wait!" The three turned around as a pink figure came running towards them.

"Uh? Amy!" _And she's wearing that outfit again_.

"You didn't think you were going without me, were you, Sonikku?" Amy stealthily hopped up, landing just behind him on the Tornado.

"Heh...uhh maybe you should take my seat?" Sonic gave her a push so he could stand in a perch on the back. Both he and Tails knew that they couldn't convince Amy otherwise; she was coming.

Cream's concern was now heightened since her best friend, her sister, was going too. But then again, she should have more faith, right? They've been on these kind of missions before, and Sonic and Tails were able to protect Amy.

"Ready?" Tails asked, pulling his flying goggles over his face.

"Yep!" said Amy.

"Here we go!" Sonic exclaimed.

Cream backed away, waving goodbye as they took off to the skies.

:~:

Sonic always loved tagging along with Tails when they flew the Tornado. They practically grew up with that plane. He loved the feeling of the wind blowing through his quills from a higher altitude, the fantastic view when there were the perfect amount of clouds; white, puffy, like cotton candy. Once he tried to sit on a cloud by jumping on it when he was close enough, but of course that didn't exactly end well.

He noticed that Amy was looking too, leaning up as far as she could while sitting so she could take in all the natural beauty. Her emerald eyes were bright with elation, and a sudden breeze danced through her quills just as the sun peeked out from the clouds.

He _really_ hoped she didn't catch him staring.

"It's such an amazing view." Amy sighed blissfully, resting her cheek against her palm. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is," said Sonic. But his eyes weren't on their surroundings anymore.

Now feeling his eyes on her, Amy slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. So she wasn't imagining things!-_He was staring right at her_. The happy smile on her face slacked to a more subtle, bashful one instead as she gazed back at him. She could feel her heart fluttering around in her chest, wondering who dared to break their trance first.

It was Tails.

"Uh...guys?"

The tone in his voice had both hedgehogs jump, both from surprise because he's been quiet for so long and suspicion about what their friend just found. As pink as her fur, Amy turned her back to Sonic reluctantly; she was upset at Tails for ruining the moment, but the feeling won't last, she was sure.

"What's up, buddy?" Sonic covered his disappointment a lot better than Amy had, straightening slightly from his crouch. The faintest of blushes stained his muzzle, and he coughed awkwardly, rubbing his nose with the side of his index finger.

"Remember that fortress we saw the other day?"

"Yeah, why?"

Tails pointed ahead. "Found it."

The clouds cleared, and there it was: the Egg Carrier. It was just as big and intimidating as it was the last time, but now that they were closer they could see newer, advanced technology. Almost scarier.

Amy gasped, and her hand fell on something softer than what she thought would be the side of the plane.

Sonic looked down at his hand, now covered with her smaller, slender one. It was purely an accident, he knew, but he had to do a double take, staring from the back of her head, to their hands repeatedly.

Amy was afraid to look.

"That's it?" she heard him snort, but felt his fingers lift up and lace through hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Piece of cake!"

"Leeet's get through the plan before ya start dashing, Sonic," Tails reminded him with a chuckle.

"Hey, that's what I do best. Now let's get 'em!"

His hand left hers, much to her disappointment, but did she really expect for him to kick butt _and_ hold her hand at the same time?

_Although that would be cute-the two of us, fighting side by side! And holding _hands_!_

Amy giggled at the thought.

"Alright, Sonic! When I get close enough, you jump!" Tails gestured around with one hand as he yelled over the engine. "Amy and I will disable the cannons that come your way!" (_"Meaning you do all the shooting while I just sit here **again**."_) "When we get to the heart, that's when you come back!"

"Gotcha!" Sonic gave Tails a thumbs up. He tapped a grumpy looking Amy on the shoulder, flashing her a dashing grin when she turned around, and she started giggling. His own smile widened and he winked at her. He knew her well enough to know that she hated being left behind, and he took her words into consideration.

_"I'm not the same girl that I was back then. If you're going, then I'm going too."_

Sonic spoke up. "Yo, Tails!"

"Sonic, it's time to jump!"

Shooting Amy an apologetic glance, _Next time, I promise_, he moved quickly, hopping onto the left wing of the Tornado. He felt her eyes on him, a confident smirk returning to his face, but he forced himself not to look at her.

He felt the familiar rush of adrenaline pulse through his veins, the wonderful feeling he always got before dashing into action, and for a moment he forgot about Amy; pushing her to the back of his mind and putting his enemy first - Eggman. His ankles tensed, hands out and fingers split apart as he leaned back, ready to spring.

And then he was gone at the speed of sound, leaving a blue streak in his wake.

Without Sonic, Amy felt just a little emptier, but she squared her shoulders and told herself to deal. She was a heroine, not just a fangirl or a damsel in distress! Tails' plan was originally for him and Sonic, and them alone, and she wasn't gonna whine because she didn't get what she wanted. Tails was also her friend, a very smart one at that, and she'll do whatever she could to help him.

Even if that meant that she still. Couldn't. Do. A. Thing.

Amy sighed. This was gonna suck. Big time.

:~:

"Do you think they're gonna be okay?" Cream asked, nervously playing with a strand of orange hair.

"You have nothing to worry about," Knuckles reassured. "Sonic and Tails have this all under control and...stuff."

"What about Amy?"

"Eh," Knuckles grunted, nonchalant.

"You're not worried about her?"

"I'm not worried about any of 'em."

"Not even a little?"

Knuckles groaned. _Why did I have to be the one babysitting?_ he mentally asked the ceiling. Cream was still waiting for an answer so he sighed, "C'mon," and guided her over to the couch to sit. The young rabbit followed suit and sat, hands wringing over and over in her lap as the echidna sat next to her.

"Look," Knuckles really wasn't good at these things, "You're like my little sister, you know that?" Cream's ears perked up in delight when he said that, and he started grinning as he continued, "So I'm gonna pull your hair and steal your favorite doll and taunt and tease you." She giggled at that, urging him to continue, "But I'm also gonna protect you and tell you that everything is gonna be okay when I _know_ it is. Got it?"

"Mhm!" Cream smiled.

"Good girl. Tell anyone I said that, and you can say goodbye to your little Chao friend."

Cream gasped in fear, clamping her hands over her mouth. "No!"

Knuckles chuckled darkly.

"Knuckles!" Cream whined. He was openly laughing at her now. "That's not funny!"

:~:

"I'm so sorry, Blaze! Please forgive me!"

Blaze's eyes stayed on the ceiling as Silver continued to glomp her, practically squeezing her to death; his eyes were shut tight, his cheek flush against her chest. Yeah. Kinda awkward.

"I'm a jerk! I am the worst friend in the history of friends and I hate it when we don't talk at all because it kills me and you're my best friend and I love you and I'll bake you cookies!"

Her cheeks grew hot at that last part.

"Silver-"

"I'll do anything! And I mean anything! If it means you talking to me again, I'll even jump off a building!-Well, I'll probably catch myself but still-"

"_Silver_-"

"I-I mean, uh...-okay, forget the building, but I will do anything! I'll...I'll...I'll be your personal maid for two weeks! I'll treat you like the princess you are! I'll-!"

"_**SILVER**_."

His eyes began to water, pulling back to look at her. "You talked to me!"

"I did." Blaze smiled at him in amusement once she could breathe.

"I can't believe it! You _talked_ to me!" Silver went for another hug, and she was able to return it this time, their arms wrapping around each other's torso.

"So you love me, huh?" she teased.

She didn't see him blush. "Well you _are_ my best friend. I kinda have to."

Blaze slapped his arm and pulled away to look at him. "Okay, I accept your extremely sweet, but cheesy, apology. You don't have to be my personal maid..._but_ you can cook me dinner every day for the rest of the week!"

"Deal!" An exuberant Silver grabbed her face and pulled her forward, planting a big kiss on her cheek, which she couldn't help but laugh and blush a little at; his show of affection was something she'll probably never get used to.

She didn't mind. _At all_.

:~:

"Um." There were arms around him. He's not used to being touched, let alone _hugged_. He wasn't a hugger. He didn't touch people.

"I saw the footage. You were in one of Eggman's old bases and a bomb went off. _You're getting a hug_," Sally said firmly, closing her eyes.

"You obviously must not know what I do for a living." He wasn't hugging her back, but he wasn't exactly in a rush to push her away either. "If you really get worked up this every time we go on a mission, you might as well wait for Faker to get back."

"You're not him."

Shadow's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Huh. That was a surprise. "What makes him different from me?"

"Well isn't this a surprise?" Sally whirled, yanking her arms back as if they had been burned. Rouge walked up to them with a smug look on her face. "Silver and I were with him too. Don't we get hugs and kisses?"

Sally went to hug her friend, hiding her blushing face in the bat's shoulder. "Shadow made it back first," in which he had, which was a good enough excuse, she thinks, "Anyways-where is Silver?"

"He went to go make up with Blaze," Shadow answered for her.

"Don't you mean make _out_?" Rouge arched an eyebrow, that smirk widening.

"Is there a difference?" Shadow turned his attention on Sally, catching her eye. "Tails and the Faker are taking off to find the Doctor's Egg Carrier," he explained to her. "They must have found him-"

"Plus he's hard to miss-"

"So that's what caused the base to blow up." Shadow ignored Rouge's side comment. "Now he knows where we are and, knowing him, he's planning to take us all out - before we take _him_ out."

"How do you know that?" Sally wanted to know.

"I..." Shadow chose his words carefully, "worked on the wrong side of the tracks a long time ago."

He turned on his heel and walked away, Sally staring after him with more concern in her blue eyes than she wanted to lead on.

:~:

Sonic laughed, boasting about how easy it was as he zipped and dashed through the robot armies. When Tails was close enough, he'd jump back, only to leap right back from a different angle and began attacking again.

Both Tails and Amy were getting a little worried. All this jumping back and forth wasn't good for him, and their obstacles only got bigger and more dangerous.

"Be careful, Sonic! You're knocking us off course!" Tails warned as Sonic came back for the umpteenth time.

"You worry too much! Have a little faith, will ya?" Sonic grinned before disappearing again.

Amy was on her toes, her teeth giving her bottom lip no mercy as she watched Sonic closely. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, but Tails had a point too. Sonic couldn't be too careless out there.

"Come on, Sonic," Amy whispered. She still had hope. She still cheered him on, even at times like these where he never hears it.

Just as Sonic jumped out of a cavern, smile still on his face, grenades were being launched at him from all angles.

"SONIC, LOOK OUT!" Amy cried desperately.

"Hm?" Sonic turned midair and saw what the hype was about. Lunging forward, he grabbed one and thrust it back at the others in defense.

_Piece of ca-_

They all went off as soon as they touched, flames licking angrily at the open air and spreading quickly; for a moment, Sonic disappeared.

The smoke cleared, and the blue speedster could be seen pummeling down towards the sea below.

Thinking quickly, a befuddled Sonic turned on his stomach and ignored the sudden knee-buckling pain in his legs and torso, the trickling feeling he felt going down his legs, and saw the Tornado racing toward him.

The last thing he remembered was his own hand, his forefingers seen through the singed cloth that used to be his gloves, stretching as far as he could to reach Amy. _Amy_. Her glistening eyes widened in fear as she threw her hand out to catch him.

But he missed his footing.

And he slipped right through her fingers.

"NO!"

As if in slow motion, Amy watched as the love of her life fell from her grasp, and the ocean below was ready to swallow him whole. It was like he knew what was coming for him, because the pain was beginning to be too much, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he finally lost consciousness.

_"I'm not the same girl that I was back then. If you're going, then I'm going too."_

Her grip tightened on the plane, blinking angrily at the tears blurring her vision. Breathing heavy with adrenaline, she began to hoist herself up and over-

"AMY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

-and she jumped.

Tails' cry was silenced by the wind as she fell clumsily. Nothing mattered to her anymore. She had to get to Sonic. She _had_ to...

Her hands, flailing out like her feet were, loosened from their fists. Her arms and legs snapped together, flush against her body, now fully perpendicular to the sea. This caused her to soar faster and faster, and her tears began to flow up and dry as soon as they reach her ears.

Amy tucked her body in, flipping forward, and pushing off from there, straightening her body once again. Her eyes were on Sonic, and Sonic alone, and he was getting closer to her - but also to the water. She gazed intently, determined.

_"I'm not the same girl that I was back then."_

Fifty feet. Her arms shot forward. She wasn't going to lose him this time.

Twenty. She's almost _right there_.

Ten. Arms and legs hitch around him, hands hugging his head to a soft surface. Gripping him tight; tenderly.

Five. Her eyes go from him to his worst fear.

Four. Her hand comes up to press at the top of his head.

Three.

Two.

Her eyes shut tight.

One.

_Splash_.

* * *

**Special shout out to PoeticLover1996. She helps me plot and we feed off each other's energy. Thanks, girl! You were definitely in mind while I wrote this chapter.**

**As for the rest of you guys, thank you so much for your continuous support! I'm really proud of this fic, and it's far from done. :]**


	10. Been the Calm, Missed the Storm

**Okay...I may be a little excited. Here's an early update!**

* * *

_Amy dragged his body to shore, feeling weaker in the knees as she walked. He became a lot heavier because he, and she, was drenched in water. When her body could take more, she released her grip on him for the first time since she jumped from the Tornado, and collapsed beside him._

_Sonic made no sign of moving. The sand around him stained red with his blood, running pink before disappearing as the water came up and washed it away._

_"Sonic..." she whimpered. _

_He doesn't reply._

_All of her body functions decide to shut down right down, failing her when she tried to get back to her feet. From down a long tunnel, she could faintly hear Tails' screams, like she was jumping out of the plane again._

_And then her body went absolutely still._

* * *

She woke some time later, but she wasn't on the beach anymore. She lay on a much softer surface, and had a killer headache.

"Ow..." she muttered dryly, reaching up to cup her head, but realized that she had an IV attached to her arm. _What the..._?

Soft, relieved laughter that obviously wasn't hers, as well as a few sighs of relief had Amy do a double take.

There, surrounding her bed, were none other than Cream, Rouge, Blaze, and Sally. Cream, sitting the closest, had redness around her eyes and Amy realized with shock that she had been crying. Rouge didn't bat an eyelash - pun intended - but her lips twitched. Blaze's eyes glistened but she did not shed a tear. Sally, standing at the foot of the bed, had her arms crossed over her chest ( wonder who she got _that_ from ) and wore the same expression as Blaze.

"You're awake!"

"How long have I been out?" Amy pushed herself up into a sitting position, being embraced by the rabbit soon after.

"Three days," Sally answered her.

"But you've been in and out for a while," Blaze added.

"Three...days..." Amy's head suddenly snapped up. "Sonic! Where's Sonic? Is he okay? Is he safe? Did I get to him in time? I have to go find him!-"

Just when she started to get up, four arms lunged forward to keep her down.

"Sonic is...fine," Blaze treaded carefully, all three of them watching her face carefully.

"What do you mean_ '...fine'?_" The rate of her heartbeat was shooting up, and they all tried to calm her down.

"Big Blue isn't looking so well, honey," Rouge explained, and Amy's eyes began to well up with fresh tears. "Fox Boy found you shortly after you pulled him to shore. He told us everything and we rushed to get you both to the hospital."

"He felt so guilty because he thinks if it weren't for him, then you and Sonic would be okay..." Sally added quietly.

"You were holding up really well, but Sonic hadn't woken up since. He's...banged up pretty bad. His legs got burned in the explosion, and the left side of his ribs are bruised and broken."

Amy's heart stopped.

"And he's got head trauma..."

She started to shake her head, rapidly when they kept going on and on about what had been done to him. And his legs...his legs. The most vital part of him that kept him going. It was_ his legs_ that continued to do what he loved. To run. And..._he might not be able to run again. _

_All because of Eggman_.

Her fingers clenched around her sheets, knuckles white.

"Don't beat yourself over this, Amy. If it weren't for you, it could have been _a whole lot worse,"_ Blaze shifted so Sally could sit. "Sonic wouldn't have been able to survive that fall. Barely. _You saved his life._"

Amy breathed in slowly through her nose and out through her mouth, calming herself a bit at Sally's words.

"Who else is here?" she asked, desperate to change the subject as she wiped a stray tear away.

"Everyone."

"Everyone?"

"_Everyone," _the girls chorused.

"Tails," said Cream.

"Knuckie," Rouge added.

"Shadow," Sally said.

"Silver," Blaze piped up.

"The Chaotix and Tikal."

"Cream's mom."

"Everyone!"

"The boys are with Sonic."

"They _refused_ to leave-"

"The Chaotix are in the waiting room with everyone else because they only can allow so much of us up here."

"They didn't even allow us up here!"

"Sally and Shadow took care of that-"

"Yeah, I think the nurse at the front desk pissed his pants."

"I enjoyed watching him _squirm_..."

"Sal!"

"What?"

_"What did you do?"_ Amy cut in for the first time, her brain still on the 'waiting room' part.

Sally shrugged a nonchalant shoulder. "Scared him."

"How?"

"You know how Shadow glares at Sonic all the time?" Blaze said.

"Yeah...?"

"Double that and add blue eyes," Rouge finished smugly.

"Ooh," Amy winced, and they all nodded.

"Yeah. Not pretty."

"How are you feeling, Amy?" Cream asked her gently, touching her arm.

"Honestly? Like my hormones are everywhere and I gotta pee. Where's the bathroom?"

"On your right," said Sally.

"Thanks..." She felt their eyes on her as she got up and took her time in padding over to the bathroom.

Rouge looked over her shoulder and fought a snort. "Nice booty."

"Don't look at it!" Amy covered herself, practically making a sonic dash to the bathroom.

:~:

She gasped.

Tails and Knuckles were her next visitors. The kitsune automatically burst into tears and apologies, and Amy sobbed hysterically. Knuckles stood by awkwardly, not knowing if he should initiate a group hug or-

"I-I don't b-b-blame you, Tails," Amy sniffed as she held him, shutting her eyes. "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too. I-I'm so s-sorry!" Tears ran down Tails' muzzle as he clung to her desperately.

"Yeah, still here," Knuckles grunted.

Amy lifted her head, outstretching a hand. "C-C'mere."

"Uhhh I'll leave you two to-"

"Oh just get over here!"

:~:

Shadow was the last to visit, but by then it was nightfall. He found her leaning as far as she could out of her bed, resting her cheek against her palm as she stared blankly out the window.

"You can jump, you know."

His voice didn't even startle her. "I just wanna get out of here..."

"You have until tomorrow." Amy lifted her palm from her cheek, turning around to lay on her back; body propped up against the pillows. "But something tells me you'll come running right back."

"Sonic..." she started.

"He's fine."

Amy growled. "I've been getting that _all day_."

"It's true. Even if he looks more hideous than he normally does."

She shot him a look.

"They patched him up really well, so you don't have to worry about that. He's in good care."

"But-"

"Rose..." he warned, and she pressed her lips in a tight line. "What happened that day was heroic. What you did in _order_ to do that makes it stupid and reckless. Guess you two really are meant for each other."

"Shut up." She was fighting a smile now.

His red eyes twinkled in amusement.

"So..." Amy smoothed her hands down the thin sheet that covered her from the waist-down. "You and Sally, huh?"

"...What did you hear?"

"Did you seriously make a poor nurse pee in his pants?" Her voice quivered as she forced the giggles down.

He actually smiled. And darkly. "I simply walked up to the desk and asked what room you were in. I didn't like his answer. Sally came up at some point."

Amy couldn't help it. She giggled. "I would have loved to see that."

"I'm not sure you would've wanted to be on the receiving end of that, Rose." His eyes softened uncharacteristically. "It's better that you didn't witness any of it. There was madness everywhere. Arguing, yelling, tears...I've never seen Shorty so heartbroken. Knuckles felt extremely guilty because he was the one who told her that everything was going to be okay. He felt like he cheated her. Everyone was so tense and Sally-"

He grew quiet then.

"Sally what?" Amy leaned in intently.

"She...She was so strong for everyone. Holding anyone who needed to be held while they cried, giving words of reassurance..." Shadow lowered his head. "I caught her alone in the hallway. Her back was to me. Her body was stiff. Too stiff, rigid...like a statue...

_I didn't say anything. I just...I watched her. It happened so quickly that I barely registered the tears._

_She was in my arms._

_I did the only thing I could do. I held her, just like she did with everybody else. A person can only be strong for so long and she just...crumbled. We sunk to the floor, and she fought against me. Demanding, wailing, "What happened?" over and over again. It was hard to keep her down, but I did, and she finally gave up and slumped against me._

_I just held her._

"She didn't mention it, did she?" Shadow caught Amy's tear with his thumb.

_"No,"_ Amy croaked. "I mean, I knew you all were...but I didn't know that..."

"Yeah. There's a lot of things people won't tell you." There was a double meaning behind his words.

She grasped his hand before it could fall. "You're a good friend, Shadow. You're more than you give yourself credit for."

Shadow slowly stood, then leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head. "Get some sleep, Rose."

He left her room before she could object.

:~:

"How is she?"

"Fine. How's he?"

"Broken."

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "You know you didn't have to...-"

"I know." Sally hugged herself. "I-I wanted to."

"You had to."

She nodded. "Yeah."

Shadow headed down to the waiting room, but he knew she was following right behind him.

:~:

The gang took up the entire place, ranging from worry to boredom to fatigue. The Chaotix were in one corner, fast asleep; Tikal was with them, her head tucked in Espio's shoulder. In the other was his team, Rouge and Silver, their shoulders touching; Blaze was leaning against Silver, their tired golden gazes on the floor, but their fingers were laced together on the armrest. Rouge looked as sleepy as they did, but her eyes were on Knuckles, who sat across from her with Tails and Cream. Cream, who had been watching Tails' saddened face for a while now, leaned away from her mother to curl against him instead. Tails leaned his head against hers and sighed.

Shadow felt a slender hand grip his own for subtle support.

He lets their fingers intertwine.

* * *

**No Sonic in this chapter! Will he appear in the next? Hmm, I don't know ;)**

**Guess you'll have to wait again to find out, won't cha? Reviews are always welcome!**


	11. The Fox and the Rabbit

**SO CLOSE TO 100. You guys rock!**

* * *

Tails shifted in discomfort.

"Miles?" Cream played with her fingers. "Are you alright?"

He shot her a fake smile. "I'll be alright." _But not now._

Cream smiled back, and he knew she didn't believe him.

"You shouldn't be here..." Tails muttered, shaking his head.

Cream's eyes widened. "You don't w-want me-?"

"No, no! I-I do! It's just...well..." Tails sighed, setting his tool down and wiping his dirty hands with a rag before he walked over to her, stepping over the spare parts of the Tornado lying around. "Cream, I do want you to be here..." And she started smiling again. "But it's...just been _hard_ for me these past few days, yanno?" She nodded. "And, well, you're very special to me," she blushed and so did he, "so I just don't want you to see me like..."

"You know..." Cream inhaled, then went on; pure honesty, "it's been hard for all of us, Miles. And I can understand why you would still feel guilty, when it clearly wasn't your fault in the first place." She grasped his hand warmly, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "I'm worried about my best friend too."

"But you didn't nearly kill yours," he mumbled sadly, and she pulled him into her arms. She smelled of flowers and soap, and the kitsune couldn't help but return her embrace.

"Sonic's always been repulsive, and he's a hero. Heroes get hurt, right?" He heard her whisper in his ear. "Accidents happen. You were looking out for the both of them...You're not Superman. You're _Tails_." She pulled away to look at him, smiling wide. "I like the fact that you can't run at the speed of sound, and that you're yellow and you have blue eyes and a cheeky smile-" She poked his cheek and he couldn't help but laugh. She giggled and continued on, "I like that you're shorter than most boys but that's okay because _I'm_ short!"

Genuine laughter. Why was it so easy with her? Maybe he should reconsider the whole 'shouldn't be here' thing. Cream was just wonderful.

"Is there a point to all of this?" he's able to manage between chuckles.

"I like you for _you!"_ Cream cupped his face in her hands, her cinnamon eyes wide in earnest. "You're my friend and," her hands drop to his shoulders, "I don't like seeing you upset. Seeing you upset makes me upset."

"Well seeing _you_ upset because _I'm_ upset makes _me_ upset!" They both laughed and Tails took her hands off his shoulders, holding them steady between them. "So...let's agree to not be upset for the sake of the other getting upset over the other being upset?"

"...What?"

Straight-up _giggling_.

It felt wrong to laugh, but at the same time Tails felt like he hasn't laughed in years. Through his happy high, the positive thoughts reigned in. _Sonic's going to be okay. He'll never cease to surprise me, like he always does. I'll have my big brother back. I'll do anything to make it up to him_.

"Ya sure your mom is okay with you staying the night?" Tails walked inside his house, Cream following closely behind him.

"Mhm!" Cream perked up.

"O-Okay. Well I only have one bed so I'll let you sleep in mine?"

"And where would you sleep?"

Tails shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I dunno. I sometimes sleep on the couch...or my workshop if I'm working late."

"Oh." She looked a little...disappointed now? What did he do? "Hm, well will you stay with me until I fall asleep then?" she asked hopefully.

His smile widened in relief. "I don't see why not."

He gave her privacy for her to change into her pajamas, and when she finally emerged and padded inside his bedroom, he grinned at the sight of her. A cute orange pajama set that was floral in design from her button down shirt to the shorts that matched.

"Make yourself at home!" said Tails, stepping aside for her to sit. Cream smiled and climbed into his bed.

"Ooh, your bed is big. And warm too," she complimented.

"Well, you _are_ small," he teased, pulling up a chair to sit by her side of the bed. Cream giggled in response. Always a good sport about _everything_.

"You're sitting very far away," she commented. "Could you scoot closer please?"

"Uh?" Tails cleared his throat, his cheeks warm. "You want me to-?" He saw her nod as he began to move closer, bringing his chair with him. "Better?"

"Much." She nodded, turning on her side. The rabbit smiled, and the kitsune smiled back just as wide. "So tell me things."

"What kind of things?" He leaned comfortably against his seat.

"Anything." She hugged one of his pillows, and he wondered if it will still smell like her in the morning.

"Hmm..." Tails mused, quiet for a while. He was also very aware of her eyes on his face as he thought. "Well, according to the doctors, Sonic might be handicapped for a while, so I'm gonna make him some crutches. His legs, hypothetically, will be extremely tender...yanno, sensitive for a while, and I'm pretty sure he'll hate getting around in a wheelchair..."

"That's very sweet of you."

"Yeah...I owe him that much..."

"Do you need any help with that?"

"I got it, don't worry. But I could use a pretty face around here - one that isn't covered in grease."

Cream giggled and blushed. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Of course I do. Did you think I thought you were...?"

"No. But it's nice to hear all the same. Especially coming from you. You're pretty too. I-I mean-!" She flailed her hands a little in embarrassment, blush deepening, and his blue eyes danced in amusement.

"I think I get it, Cream. Thanks." He laughed nervously. "S-So uh...let's talk about...you?" he suggested.

"What would you like to know?"

"Huh...Well I've always wondered what made you want to be Amy's sidekick?"

"She was my first friend that was more like the older sister that I've always wanted," Cream sighed blissfully. "I was only six when I met all of you. You all were so kind and you helped me save my mother. I will forever be grateful...

"Before I met Rouge, Amy was all I had - apart from my mom of course. She gave me advice and we went everywhere together. I loved spending time with her, yanno? She's my _sister_. We met Big a little while after that, and I guess that's how our team officially came to be? We called us Team Rose, and by then I had kind of filled in the sidekick role."

Her eyes shined with emotion. "She's everything I wanna be someday. I want to be brave. I want to save people. I want to be able to be recognized for who I am. But my morals are so different from you all's. I'm a pacifist. I choose fighting as the very last result..."

"Hey, hey..." Tails patted her hand. "You're all those things, okay? You _are_ brave and you _do_ save people and you _are_ recognized for who you are. Being a pacifist just makes you more special."

"Really?"

"Yeah! It just means that you give your opponent time to rethink his decision before attacking you. I'm kind of like that too." Tails grinned. "That just makes big bro and big sis more impulsive than us."

She returned it, feeling much better now. "I've noticed that! We have a lot in common, don't we?"

"Name something we don't," he said rhetorically.

She answered anyway. "You have blue eyes and your fur is yellow but sometimes it looks orange and you have two tails instead of one."

Two can play that game. "You have brown eyes and your fur is creamy, hence your name and all, and you have a pet Chao."

"You're tall...ish."

"You're short...ish."

"You use your tails to fly."

"You use your ears to fly."

"You're a mechanic."

"You're...a flower picker."

"Your muzzle is white."

_"So is yours."_

"Crap! I-I mean-!"

"Cream it's okay. It's not like you swore."

"_C-R-A-P-_" she mouthed dramatically, "is just as bad!"

He chuckled. "Cream-"

"I don't like this game..."

"Cream - " He leaned forward. " - it's_ o k_."

She relaxed. "Okay."

A random thought occurred to him, and it had him silent for quite a while. Cream was patient and waited for him to speak up first. He did.

"Cream?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something...serious for a second?"

She sat up in his bed, pulling the comforter further up her waist; wondering what he was about to ask. She hoped there wasn't something wrong.

Tails took a few deep breaths to steady himself. "If it all came down to it..." He lifted his gaze from his lap to her, getting slowly to his feet and kneeling down in front of her. "And if it was up to me to save the world..." He met her gaze head-on. "Would you trust me to do it?"

Cream nodded meekly.

He accepted that. Sometimes these kind of thoughts came up, and he didn't like to think of them - a world with Sonic gone...But it's been at the front of his mind ever since the accident. There had been no getting away from it at the time.

"I have a question for _you_," she said, taking on the same time he did, barely blinking. He nodded for her to continue. "If it all came down to it...And if it was up to you to save the world..." He nodded again. "Would you trust me to be by your side?"

He nodded with no hesitation. "I wouldn't have it any other way. You're my best friend."

She nodded back at him, placing her hand on top of his. "And you are mine."

His smile was big. "Hm." He spotted the time and looked back at her. "You should get some sleep. It's past midnight."

She put her fist up to her mouth, covering her yawn politely. "And you'll stay with me until I fall asleep like you promised?"

"Not going anywhere," he vowed, sitting back in his chair.

Feeling assured, Cream laid down and Tails turned off his lamp light, engulfing the room in complete darkness.

"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" he wanted to check.

"I used to be, but thanks for asking. I'm a big girl now."

_I've noticed_. "Just wanted to know, that's all. I don't want you to be uncomfortable or anything while you sleep in here."

"I'll be comfortable because I have you to protect me." Another yawn. "You're such a good friend to me, Tails. I'm really glad I met you."

"Me too."

When she grew quiet, his head began to fall back.

"Miles?"

His head snapped right back again. "Hmm?"

"Do you think Sonic likes Amy?"

Tails stiffened. "U-Uh, what made you ask?"

Yawn. "It's something that's been on my mind for a while...a long time actually. It's alright if you don't want to answer. I apologize for prying..."

He spoke after a beat.

"Honestly? Between you and me? I think he_ does_."

She gasped softly. "Really? You think?"

"Mhm. I try to talk to him about her...And I have been for years now. He's had a habit of running from things that I think he runs away from his feelings for Amy too. I've always noticed the way he looks at her when he thinks nobody is looking. I think he's afraid to admit it because he lives the fast life, yanno? He doesn't wanna slow down with a girl. Because of a _girl_. Enemies would be after her left and right -"

"Isn't it like that now?"

"I try to tell him that, but he never listens to me." _Shocker, really_. "I keep warning him that Amy can only wait around for so long, and if he kept hurting her then eventually a line will be crossed."

"I don't want my best friend to get hurt..."

"Neither do I...And from the looks of it, Cream? With Sonic's injured legs, he won't be able to run from his feelings anymore."

And with that thought in mind, the two youngsters fell asleep.

* * *

**Funny how things turned out, huh? No Sonic _and_ no Amy in this chapter? (But they _are_ mentioned, if that counts as anything.) Man, I bet it's killing ya - don't worry, it's killing me too - but don't worry, 'cause it's gonna be worth your wait in the long run!**

**At least I think, lol.**

**Since Tails and Cream are the secondary pairing in this fic, I decided to give them their own little fluffy chapter together. I really hope you liked reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are greatly appreciated :]**


	12. Voices

***hands you cupcakes and the next chapter***

***INWARDLY SCREAMING BECAUSE THIS STORY IS JUST PAST 100 REVIEWS***

* * *

Amy tossed her head back, her quills flying with the motion. Her green eyes appraised her reflection in her bathroom mirror. She looked normal. But she didn't feel normal. Her hands smoothed down her dress, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"It's a brand new day, Ames." She used the nickname _he_ gave her, squaring her shoulders and putting her hands on her hips. "Sonic wouldn't want ya to mope."

And with that thought in mind, she slid on her boots, grabbed her purse and her hammer, and went out the door.

:~:

Knuckles and Tails were waiting outside his hospital room, smiles on their faces when they saw her. Approaching the two, she smiled back and immediately jumped to questions.

"How is he?"

"Unconscious but recovering."

"Sure, sure, but don't expect for him to wake up by true love's first kiss and burst into song."

"Thanks, Knux," she said sarcastically, but she felt his hand brush her back as he gave her a little push.

Her heart was beating. _Fast_.

Sonic's hospital room was identical to the one hers had been, but bigger.

And for good reason.

There he lay, motionless but breathing on the bed; his arms were covered in gauze, one more than the other, and she's positive it's worse underneath the sheets. He was connected to IVs and monitors, and an oxygen mask lay over his face.

Amy came closer, dropping her purse when she got close enough, her bottom lip trembling. Seeing him like this, still and unmoving, was something that she'd never thought she'd see. Ever. _Naps_ didn't even look this grave.

"Oh Sonic..." she whispered, cupping his cheek gently with her fingertips. She was afraid to peek under the sheets, but she did, slowly lifting up from the waist. Her suspicions were confirmed. His legs were severely burned.

But she knew they were healing. Sonic was quick at everything, and that included healing.

Amy sat down in one of the chairs, covering his hand with both of hers when she was close enough. "Everyone's worried about you, sweetie. It's not the same without you. I mean, I know you're here...but you're not _here_."

She perked up when she saw that the TV was on.

"I know you don't like the news - unless it's about you, of course. Why would they leave on the news?" She changed the channel. "You like rock music and breakdancing, sooo..." She began searching for the music stations. "I'll leave it on something you like, okay?"

No reply. She's not as hurt as she would have been if he were conscious.

"I wish I could stay here all day and all night with you, Sonic. Even if you can't hear me..."

:~:

He can hear her.

:~:

"Do you remember when we first met? I don't know about you, but it's a day I'll never forget. I've always wanted to meet you, yanno? You were a savior to our home. To everyone! Being saved by you that day meant the world to me...

"You were such a cutie...look at you now! Eggman never stopped you from saving the world, you practically made a family of your own and you're the one who always keeps us together, and you got over your shyness! Though your cockiness _can_ be infuriating sometimes..."

It stayed like that for the next few weeks. Amy would visit, bring him flowers, fluff his pillow, turn the TV on his favorite music stations, and talk to him about things. Memories, stuff going on without him around to witness it.

And he would never respond.

:~:

"Sonic! OMG, guess what? _Silver kissed Blaze_. Can you believe it? I would have thought that Blaze would be the one initiating it - yanno, how forward she is -" Amy sighed happily. "I'm just glad one of them finally made a move. It's so _romantic_! Don't cha think? I hope we'll be like that someday..."

:~:

"Tails is working on your crutches. He's doing a lot better than he had been before. I'm proud of him. You should be too. You being...here...has impacted us both the most I think. We love you, Sonikku. Knuckles does too, but, he doesn't show it because he's emotionally challenged. I don't know what we'd do without you..."

:~:

"Shadow sends his love. Shh. Don't tell him I said that. It'll be our little secret."

:~:

"Cream misses her big brother. I miss him too."

:~:

"Silver's officially a member of Team Dark. Sally told me the other day. Shadow, Rouge, and Silver work really well together. He's actually pretty strong! Who knew, huh?

"Charmy's under him all the time. Shadow, I mean. I think it's cute. Shadow's always closed off from the world because he thinks everyone hates him and fears him. Charmy's that daily boost of confidence. He's definitely someone that Shadow needs, yanno?"

:~:

"So far there's been no sign of Eggman. Weird, huh? Tails and Sally have been tracking him but it's like he's been wiped off the face of the earth. Something is up. We're gonna have to get to the bottom of this."

:~:

"Still no sign of him..."

:~:

"I had a chilli dog today. Bet you're jealous."

:~:

"You know what I hate? People who take over the world and then try to harm your boyfriend while they're at it...

"Oops! Right, right...we're not actually...Ahem.

"Istillloveyou."

:~:

"I think your nurse is starting to get sick of seeing me everyday. I don't think she understands how much I love you, Sonikku..."

:~:

"You know...Cream told me something interesting last night. Remember the first night we spent here? - I don't either but - she mentioned something about the nurse at the front desk - yanno, the one who peed his pants - saying that only family were allowed up here. You know what the gang said? _They were our family_. That's why all of them stayed for so long. Unbelievable, isn't it?"

:~:

"Shadow wrote you a letter. He also brought flowers. Want me to read it?" She does anyway.

"'_Dear Faker,_

_The next time you put yourself in a coma, remind me to choke you first. Dishes have been piling up and idiot one and two aren't bothering to clean up after themselves. And I am **not** cleaning after your ass either._

_I hate you. With all my heart_ -' Aww!

\- _Shadow_.'

"He cares!"

:~:

"If that nurse gives me that look one more time -"

:~:

_"I came in with my Piiiiiko Hammerrrr!"_

:~:

"Ugh, my hair is getting long again...How does Sally do it? - In case you're wondering, it's almost waist-length now, but it just flows better around the bosom.

"And you probably didn't need to know that."

:~:

_"I've become so numb, I can't feel you there..."_

:~:

"So! I got a haircut - finally. It's around the, yeah - you know...Anyways! How's your day been? Good? I hope so. There's no way of telling...Wish I could read your mind - but then again, would I _really_ wanna know what goes on that handsome head of yours?

"...

"But then again, that would make things a whole lot easier...or ten times as tough."

:~:

"Will I ever know how you truly think about me? I mean, I know we're friends, and I know that you know that I..." She didn't finish that sentence. "I don't know. It just confuses me, yanno? _You_ confuse me. I'm getting mixed signals from you, Sonikku. Will you ever open up to me and tell me straight up how you feel?"

Silence.

"Guess not..."

:~:

"Oh Sonic...when you wake up, I'm gonna give you the biggest, _fattest_, _**wettest**_ kiss! I miss hearing your voice, sweetie. I miss you. _Please_ come back to me." Fighting tears. "_Please_..."

* * *

_"Amy! Amy, wait!"_

_He was losing her again. He ran, and ran, and ran. But as fast as he was, he couldn't reach her. She was out of reach._

_His surroundings change, and he's falling again. Reliving his nightmare over and over again. Him jumping, reaching for Amy, losing his footing, slipping from her fingertips..._

_He's losing consciousness. He realizes that, maybe, he was about to die. He wasn't gonna survive the fall. But he was kinda okay with that. Maybe, if he didn't exist anymore, then everyone he loved and cared about will be safe. Amy will be safe._

_No, no, no. He's Sonic the Hedgehog. He never gives up. Ever._

_Pink clouds his vision. Arms and legs latch around him and that familiar sweet, sweet scent swallowed him whole before the sea could._

_And then it was dark. Cold._

_"Sonic!"_

_It's a different kind of dark, but he could still see her. Amy. **Amy**. The girl who never left his side. The girl who was always there._

_She's reaching for him, tears in her eyes, the wind blowing through her quills. She's wearing that red dress again._

_This time when he reaches for her, their hands finally lace together, and he never lets her go. They run, and for the first time, they're running together. Side by side. Desperate to reach the light at the end of the tunnel..._

_And that's when he hears voices. One overlapping the other. The closer he came, the louder the voices became._

_Then..._

* * *

"I miss his little annoying voice..."

"Knuckles..." Tails shook his head.

"What? Everyone's thinking it!"

"Yeah, but at least I would have said it nicely!" Silver jumped to Tails' defense.

"I wouldn't have." Shadow smirked.

"See? Shadow's argument is valid! Unlike you two-"

"At least I _have_ a girlfriend!"

"...Oh. _Oh_. We're going _there_, are we?"

"Yeah, we are!"

"Yanno I'm not afraid to punch a pothead in the face."

"..._Oh._"

"Guys..."

"Idiots-"

"_Hothead_ over here started this shit!"

"What? Have you _not_ looked at your head?"

"I like my head thank you very much! At least my eyes are a manly color! As compared to _yours_ \- those things look like a color you'd find in Blaze's bedroom!"

"Guys-

"Will the both of you shut the hell up?! I will Chaos Blast your asses to hell and back _if you don't keep quiet!"_ Shadow snarled, jabbing a finger in their wounded friend's direction. "You're gonna wake him up!"

"Well mission accomplished."

Every male in that room slowly turned their heads, shocked silent as Sonic pushed himself up into a sitting position, his famous cocky smirk making its way back across his face.

"Wassa matter? You guys look like you've just seen a ghost."

Everyone was silent for a beat.

Then there was a loud, simultaneous outburst of, "SONIC!" before the blue hero found himself in a tight group glomp, with his best friends - his _brothers_\- surrounding him.

* * *

**SONIC'S BACK!**

**I know you all are excited. I am too :D**

**Next chapter: the Sonamy reunion. You wouldn't wanna miss it!**

**What are your thoughts on this chapter? A review wouldn't hurt, ya know ;D**


	13. He's Back

**The chapter that everyone's waiting for.**

**Here it is :D**

* * *

"Um - guys - can't - - _breathe_ \- !"

All the arms were gone, and Sonic gasped for breath, glaring at Knuckles pointedly because he knew who was doing the most of the squeezing.

Although Tails was a close second.

And he looked like he was about to start crying.

"Aw, buddy..." Sonic grinned at him. "It's okay!"

Tails took a deep breath and nodded, shooting him a watery smile instead. "Hey, brother."

The moment was ruined when Knuckles slapped Sonic upside the head.

Cue the delayed reaction. "...OW?!"

"_That_ was for making us worry."

_SLAP_.

"..._O W_?!"

"_That_ was for making Amy cry."

"Amy-?"

**SLAP.**

"OUCH! Dammit, Knux, will you _KNOCK IT OFF?!"_

Knuckles grinned. "_That_ was just because I can."

Sonic silently seethed for a moment or two, rubbing the back of his head; the thought of _her_ made him calm down enough to ask, "What about Amy? She okay?"

"Yeah."

"She got out after the first night."

"...How long have_ I_ been out?"

"Around two months," Shadow told him bluntly. "Rose has been visiting you every day since."

_I know_. "She has?"

"Surprised?"

That was quite the opposite. Of course he knew. He wasn't always...there, but there were times when he could hear her voice from down other. Like trying to listen to someone talk while you're under water.

Water...Sonic shuddered.

Tails assumed that it was something else entirely. "She didn't try anything, Sonic. She just wanted to make sure you were okay and -"

"Naw, it's not that." Sonic shook his head. If she comes by every day, then where is she now? Did she visit him already? Did he miss his chance? Will he have to wait another twenty-four hours to see her again? "Give it to me straight, doc," he put his hand on Tails' shoulder dramatically. "I can take it!"

Tails chuckled but continued with wariness, "Well, do you remember what happened that day?" Sonic nodded. "You got hurt pretty bad. Especially your legs. You were unconscious before you hit the water. Amy jumped after you as soon as you slipped..." And he filled Sonic in on what happened after that - how Amy shielded him before the impact, how she dragged him to shore before passing out, how everyone was freaking out as they waited with fear and anxiety...Everything.

When Tails fell silent, Sonic could barely breathe. "So...so my legs?"

"You're healing, don't worry! But...it may be a while before you can run again."

From the looks on the other's faces, Tails wasn't kidding.

But Sonic wanted him to be.

"The effect won't last forever!" Always the optimist, Tails reached down to pick something up from the side of the bed. "So I made you these. That way you won't be rolling around in a wheelchair."

Sonic took the crutches to examine them, balancing each in his hand. Cool to the touch, they were a sturdy, metallic blue and fit right in his fingers. His legs...will he ever be able to run again?

"Thanks, bud." The smile he flashed his friend was a tad forced, but he meant it nonetheless. The fact that his little brother thought about him and would do anything to help him sent a warm tingle down his spine. He considered himself lucky.

Tails smiled back just as wary. It must be hard for him to cope. He's gonna be disabled for a while.

Sonic set the crutches down, then sat up straight again. His ribs were still sensitive. Soar. He tried not to shift around as much. And for someone who did the exact opposite, it was a frustrating challenge.

His next thought led to - "Amy."

"What about her, Sonic?"

"Did she leave already?" He wiped his eyes. "Did I miss her?"

Shadow and Knuckles shook their heads, and Sonic's ears dropped.

But then he sat up straight again.

"Guys? I got an idea..."

:~:

"Hello?" Amy answered the phone.

_"Amy? Hey, it's Tails,"_ the kitsune said from the other line.

"Hey, Tails. What's going on?"

"Yeah, listen..." Tails looked from Sonic and the boys to the doorway, gulping inaudibly. He was good at being subtle, but when it came to Amy, it was like taming a wild lion. "Were ya planning on coming by the hospital today?"

"_Yeah, why? Is everything okay?_"

"Okay? Yeah! Everything's fine!" Tails winced at how eager he sounded, and Sonic facepalmed himself; the blue hedgehog's medication was making him very drowsy and he was close to dozing off. He'll have to wait though.

_"Are ya sure? You sound strange..."_

"No reason, I'm just...excited about the new upgrades I've tweaked on the Tornado!" _Yeah...that works.._. "Cream's been a great helping hand and all and...she really wants to see you!" he fibbed, blushing now. "Yanno, since she's here with me and, um -"

Amy giggled. _"Alright. I'll see you soon, 'kay?"_

"Okay. See ya!"

_"Bye!"_

Tails exhaled in relief, and so did the guys.

_"Now_ what are you doing?" Knuckles demanded when Tails lifted the phone back to his ear. Tails didn't answer.

"_Hello?"_ a much lighter voice said.

"How fast can you get here?" Tails asked nervously, and Sonic wasn't the only one who snorted.

:~:

"Shadow?" Amy came around the corner, her daily bouqet of flowers in hand, a confused frown coming across her face when she saw that it wasn't just Tails and Cream there, but Shadow, Knuckles, and Silver as well. "What are you guys doing here?"

"What, it's a crime to show up now?" Knuckles demanded hotly.

"Okay, okay, sorry - " Amy held up her hands. "_My bad_." After hugging Cream, she asked the usual question. "How is he?"

The boys exchanged glances.

"Same."

"Boring."

"Quiet."

"Annoying."

Amy giggled. "The usual, huh? Right, well...guess I better..."

Her friends let her through, hiding the big, fat smiles on their faces. Even Shadow cracked the tiniest of smirks.

:~:

"Hey, Sonikku!" Amy whispered, closing the door behind her. She walked over to his bedside, replacing the dying flowers with new ones before bending down to kiss his cheek. "I'm glad they finally took the oxygen mask off of you. It's a relief knowing you're able to breathe on your own."

Sonic's heart did a little jump, and he peeped a tired eye when her back was turned. It was difficult. _Stupid meds._

Amy looked over at him, and the eye closed right before she could see it.

The bed slumped down on his left side as he felt her sit.

Amy sighed. "I know I shouldn't be so upset like this but..." _Hold up. Was she _crying_?_ "I just want my Sonic back. I-I want you back! It's been too long now and I worry that you might not ever...might not..." He doesn't see her put her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs, but he just _knows_ and it almost breaks him.

And then her body, her small, soft, _sweet_ body, is pressed flush against his as she throws herself on top of him, her arms wrapped around him as much as she could. Her sobs shook her body. Shook him.

"P-Please..." she whimpered, shutting her eyes tight. Tears staining her muzzle. "Please come back to me, Sonic...I-I c-can't lose you! You p-promised me, remember?" she sobbed. "You p-promised me you'll never leave me!"

Ever so slowly, his arms draped around her frame, tightening his closed eyelids and squeezing her gently. He inhaled deeply, taking in her natural scent; basking in her closeness.

Feeling her stiffen in shock, her tears coming to a sudden halt, he leaned his mouth up to her ear. "Don't you worry, Amy. I never will."

Amy pulled away, staring at him with glistening eyes, and his lips curved into his usual grin. She could barely breathe. She couldn't believe it. It was-

"S-Sonic?"

"Whelp," Sonic gradually started to sit up. "How many other Sonics do ya know?"

She gasped his name with a cry and threw her arms around his neck, curling herself into him when he laughed and pulled her closer.

"Heh-heh...It's good to see you too, Ames." He nuzzled her shoulder.

"I knew you'd come back to me! I-I just _knew_ it! And now you're here!" she gushed, fighting the urge to burst into tears again.

"I've always been here, Amy." He patted and rubbed her back, reciprocating her loving squeezes.

"You...you almost...-!"

"I know. I owe ya one." He kissed the top of her head, and she wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. "The guys told me everything...-"

Amy shimmied out of their embrace, holding him at arms-length, eyes narrowing. "The guys?"

Sonic was sheepish. "I...kinda had them call you up here?"

He thought she was gonna pull out her hammer against him, but it wasn't the first time that she proved him wrong. Her eyes flashed angrily for the briefest of moments, and then she was squealing, "That's so _romantic!"_ before throwing herself onto him once again.

The blue speedster laughed, rubbing her spine. "Miss me?"

"Of _course_ I missed you, you idiot! You had me worried!" She resists the urge to slap him. "I visited you every day and -"

"Yeah, everyone filled me in." He looked down at her with a guilty frown. "Ya didn't have to do that, ya know."

"I know."

"What you did that day was..._crazy_."

"I know." She looked up at him, her emerald eyes sparkling. "You make me do crazy things."

Sonic snorted, his arms still around her. "Wonder where I've heard _that_ before?"

Amy sighed. "Sonic..."

"Hey. You saved my life." It wouldn't be the first time; and probably not the last either. "That's...kinda _hot_."

The pink hedgehog put roses to shame, and he smiled wider; she was wondering why his arms were still around her - she wasn't complaining though. Heck, neither was he.

"Uh?" Amy blurted out, clearly taken off-guard.

"So you're telling me that you jumped out of the Tornado _and_ protected me from the fall _and_ dragged me all the way to shore _and_ put me at the top of your priorities as soon as you woke up _and_ visited me every day after that?"

"U-Um...y-yes?"

Sonic grinned. "That's my girl."

Just then, Knuckles, Tails, and Silver tumbled into the room in a messy heap on the floor; Shadow and Cream stood at the doorway, Shadow crossing his arms and shaking his head, and Cream looking worried for the sake of possible injuries.

"Um, excuse you, but we're kinda having a moment here," Sonic said.

"You two make me vomit," Knuckles growled, pushing Tails off of him and getting to his feet. Because of how rough he had handled the youngster, Cream was quick to bend down at Tails' side and check to see if he was okay; of course the kitsune was, but the rabbit still checked, much to his amusement.

"We were not just spying on you just now," Silver also added as he stood.

"They were." Shadow ratted them out. "I had nothing to do with it."

"Yes you were! _You_ were the one who suggested to see what you two were up to and -" Silver stopped talking all together when Shadow sent him a dark look that clearly was chaos blasting related. "Shutting up now."

"How are you feeling, Sonic?" Cream asked him kindly.

"Fit as a fiddle!" Then he winced, his arm leaving Amy's hip to cup his rib. _"O w."_

"You should be still," Amy advised, her eyes appraising him with caution and tenderness.

"But I don't want to!" Sonic whined. "Make them take these meds off me, Ames. Pleeeease." He shook her arm, jutting his bottom lip out in a ridiculous pout that she couldn't help but giggle at.

"If you're hurting, then that means you need to be put on more medication," said Shadow. "Not that I care."

"Oh yeah, I'm feeling the love, Shadow."

"Sonikku, I know the meds suck, but I don't want you to be in pain either..." Sonic winced at her irresistible tone, making himself meet her gaze. "Please just let them take care of you? We want you to get better."

"...Okay." Sonic wrinkled his nose at her, his smile returning. "You know I can't resist a pretty face - Tails, gimme the doc. Cream, be a sweetheart and call up the rest of the gang, will ya? I wanna see everyone. Silver, you can just stand there. Knuckles and Shadow - ...you get the silence. And Amy-"

Amy perked up, and he smiled sweetly at her.

"Do they have chili dogs here?"

"They do." She beamed at him.

"What would it take for ya to go fetch me one right now?"

Amy tapped her cheek with her finger, batting her eyelashes a few times, and he was quick to catch on, swooping in and kissing her on the cheek. Oblivious to their gaping friends, Amy jumped up from the bed excitedly. "I'll be right back! Don't you move!"

She ruffled his quills and practically skipped out of the hospital room with Cream, the boys hearing them squeal when they rounded the corner.

"Um, since none of ya'll are askin' -" Knuckles threw his arms out. "_What the hell was that_?"

"What was what?" Sonic asked innocently.

"I mean,_ I've_ seen you two flirt before but..." Silver grinned.

"Who?"

"Faker, don't play the stupid card. You're hardly a player," said Shadow. "Something's shifted between you and Rose. Even a blind man can see that."

Sonic's cheeks grew hot, innocently whistling anyway and looking at anywhere else that wasn't a friend of his. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, and Knuckles isn't in love with Rouge. Oh wait, he is!"

"Silver, _if you don't shut up then so help me_-"

"You'll what? She told me how gullible you are."

"WHY I OUTTA-!"

"Hey, HEY!" Sonic rose his voice, and he flailed his arms when he got the attention. "You children can squabble later. Can we get back to _me?_"

"Oh he's definitely back," Shadow muttered.

"Unfortunately," Knuckles agreed under his breath.

"Fun-sucker." Silver pouted.

"I heard that." Sonic pointed an accusing finger.

"But-"

"In the corner."

"But-!"

"GO SIT IN THE CORNER."

"You can't tell us what to-"

"_**CORNEEERRR.**_"

"_Going to the corner!_"


	14. Gullible

**No comment on this chapter. The Chaotix made it their own xD**

* * *

"Guys!" Charmy flew through the door excitedly. "Guys, guys, guys!"

His friends were oblivious - either that or they were pretending not to listen - Vector sat at his desk, legs propped up and head leaned back as he listened to his music on full blast; Espio sat on the couch, legs crossed and head bowed, his eyes closed ( sometimes it's hard to tell if he's sleeping or not... ); Tikal lounged with him, her back brushed up against his shoulder and earphones in her ears.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" He zoomed by, knocking Vector's feet off his desk, making him jolt upwards; Espio, who had apparently been asleep after all, shot straight up, shruiken in hand, arm over the opposite shoulder, ready to attack; Tikal clumsily fell back, her head hitting the warm spot where he had been sitting. Seeing that it was just Charmy, Espio lowered his weapon, Vector glared at the bee, and Tikal sat up with her hand over her heart.

"Someone better be dying!" Vector snapped. Espio turned around, apologetic as he helped Tikal off the couch.

"Is everything okay, Charmy?" Tikal asked patiently, and Charmy smiled at her; _she_ was now his favorite.

_"Okay?_ Wait til ya hear this!" Charmy flailed his arms and paused for dramatic effect. "SONIC'S BACK!"

Everyone gasped.

* * *

The hedgehog of the hour has been having visitors nonstop. The girls came by, including Vanilla ( Sally nearly smothering him in an exuberant hug ) and he had fun catching up with them. When they left, however, it was nightfall and he couldn't help but be relieved that they left him alone - with his most favorite girl of all.

He and Amy were sprawled lazily on his bed, eating snacks and watching TV. He was in a slumped position while she sat in a completely straight lean, his right arm hovering but wrapped around her waist. Sure, he was normally very uncomfortable with P.D.A., but when they were alone it was like a completely different side of him that came out. He didn't know why but he just _couldn't stop touching her_.

_Maybe it's the fact that you've lacked her for, like, two months and you're suffering from rosy withdrawals?_

_Shut up, brain! - 'rosy withdrawals'? Really?_

_Hehe, yeah._

_Oooh creative._

_Why thank you, I do try._

"This channel is boring."

"What? Are you kidding me?"

"I shit you not. Change it."

Amy pouted but obliged. "Meanie."

"Hey! I'm the one who has to walk around in crutches for the rest of my life. I think I have the right to be a little bitter!"

She giggled, throwing a popcorn kernel at him. "You're such a drama queen."

Sonic's mouth mockingly dropped. "Oh no you didn't."

Amy flirtatiously poked his nose. "What'cha gonna do about it?"

Sonic smirked devilishly, leaning up and ready to pounce on her. But then he realized that not only were his legs out of the question -

"SONIC!" the door burst open.

\- it just wouldn't be the right _timing_.

"Does anyone knock anymore?"

"Good to see you too, Sonic," said Espio. "How are you feeling?"

"Well I was just peachy up until you didn't knock."

Tikal bent down and kissed Sonic's forehead. "Our sincerest apologies! We had to run to keep up with Charmy." She stood up straight, placing a comforting hand on a seemingly crestfallen Charmy's shoulder, he automatically perking up again when she did.

"I'm only kiddin' ya. Wassap?" Sonic asked the group, sitting up and removing his arm from around Amy - _reluctantly_ \- hands now in his lap, tapping his fingers since he couldn't do the same with his feet; his right shoulder brushed her left.

"Well, Shadow told us you were awake! So I told the team!" said Charmy, Tikal and Espio nodding simultaneously.

"We're so glad you're finally awake. We missed you, Sonic."

"Yeah, she's just sugarcoating it," Vector crossed his arms stubbornly, and Sonic smiled wider.

"Don't be a jerk." Amy frowned at him. "Sonic was unconscious for a really long time, and you know you were one of the ones who cried!"

"W-What?! _Why you little-!_ I did _not_ cry! Everyone was emotional and...and...there was something in my eye, okay?"

"Yeah. Tears," said Espio.

"Don't start."

Charmy laughed. "You're such a grumpy-gator."

"I AM A CROCODILE, OKAY? CROC. O. DILE."

"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?" Charmy rose his voice too.

"I'LL SHOW YOU-"

"Boys, _please!_" Tikal jumped between them, one hand on each of their chests to keep them apart; she knew she wasn't as strong as Vector, but she wanted to maintain the peace. And if she concentrated enough, she could be pretty strong herself.

And right then, Sonic witnessed Espio, Vector, and Charmy share a look that he knew too well. And Espio initiated it.

_If she gets hurt, I'm killing the both of you_.

Vector and Charmy backed away a few steps from each other, and Espio gave the slightest of nods. Amy noticed the look on Sonic's face, and her looking at him caught his attention.

_What? What is it?_

_Hm? Oh nothing...nothing **at all**._

Sonic's face stretched into a confident smirk.

_Oooh I'm gonna get a mileage out of this one._

* * *

"Alright, Mr. Sonic! You're free to go! Just make sure you get signed out before you leave."

"Thanks a bunch, doc." Sonic was completely calm until his nurse left the room. It was pretty early in the morning, but he didn't care. After another unnecessary month and a half he was finally going to _go home_. He called the first person who came to mind.

_"Hello?"_

"Tails? Get me outta here! I'm comin' home!"

_"What?"_

"My doc said I could leave! Keep with the progam!"

_"Okay, okay, I'm getting up! Wow, that's great, Sonic! Do you want me to let the others know?"_

"YES! Anybody! **_Just get me outta here_**."

_"Alright! I'll be there to pick you up!"_

"Lickity split!"

:~:

Not only did Tails show up, but he brought along Knuckles and Amy as well ( much to Sonic's hidden _glee_ ); Tails signed him out, Knuckles handed him his crutches, and Amy helped him stand. It felt weird being on his feet, and slightly uncomfortable, but he had his friends there with him.

Amy's arms were wrapped loosely around his torso as he stood with the crutches for the first time, helping him gain balance. Which was not at all distracting. "How's that?"

"Kinda weird. But I'll manage." He winked at her. "Thanks."

She gave him room so he could travel around a bit. It was simple really, 'cause all he did was push and pull. Awkward at first, but he maintained a rhythm, and he was pretty positive that he could go pretty fast in these things. For a _normal_ person anyway. Ugh. He hated being reduced to normal. Sonic the Hedgehog was anything _but_ normal.

Grrr, he's gonna kill Eggman.

_Well, not **kill**...but you know what I mean!_

Knuckles snorted. "Nice walk."

"I'm not limping, that's my swagger," Sonic retorted.

He never thought he'd miss fresh air so much. And when it hit him -

Man, he wanted to _run._

But he realized he couldn't, and the shining look in his eyes began to vanish. Amy, concerned, reached for his hand to give him a reassuring squeeze. He appreciated the gesture, even _welcomed_ it, but she just wouldn't understand...Running was his_ life._ He was nothing without his speed.

As if reading his very thoughts, she leaned up and whispered in his ear softly, "You'll always be something to _me,_ Sonic."

He believed her.

* * *

"Uh oh."

"What's 'uh oh', Vector?"

"Knuckles is coming and he looks hella pissed!"

"Well _I_ didn't do anything!"

While Espio watched his friends panic, Tikal opened her eyes, broken from her meditation trance; she stood to her feet, a soft frown gracing her features as she saw Knuckles march up the island.

"Knuckles?" Tikal walked up to meet him in the middle, looking from an angered Knuckles to the smug Sonic behind him.

"Excuse me, Tikal, but I gotta have a little_ talk_ with Espio." Knuckles wasn't looking at her as he advanced, she pushing feebly against his chest. The chameleon gulped while Charmy and Vector whistled and slid out of view.

"Whatever this 'talk' is, I don't approve of it!" Tikal exclaimed, her feet continuously skidding back, now stirring up dust.

"Get used to it." Knuckles grabbed her by the arms and effortlessly pushed her out of the way.

Espio remained calm; he didn't have much of a temper so he's able to think clearly. "Is there a problem?"

"Hell yeah, there's a problem!" Knuckles growled. "This 'thing' between you and my little sister needs to end right now!"

"What thing?"

"You know what thing!"

Espio spotted Tikal over Knuckles' shoulder, arching an eyebrow in question; she shrugged her shoulders, but her eyes were wide with worry.

"Essy's in loooove, Essy's in loooove!" Charmy sang.

That set Knuckles off and he swung a fist to punch, roaring as he lunged. Espio easily dodged, extending a foot between Knuckles' legs and sliding under, appearing behind him just as quickly; swiftly kicking Knuckles in the back. Knuckles stumbled forward and turned, his chest heaving and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Now," Espio's lips twitched in amusement, walking around artfully, arms behind his back. "What gave you the impression that this 'something' is a reality? Has it ever occurred to you that a boy and a girl can befriend each other without being attracted romantically?"

Knuckles snorted, and Sonic swallowed his snicker with difficulty.

"But," Espio continued, now standing just a hair away from Tikal. "If the attraction is mutual, shouldn't it be up to her and not you?" Tikal smiled softly to herself.

"Oooh," Sonic commented. Dude's got a point.

Knuckles' eye twitched.

"...You know what you can get off my island now." No one moved. "ALL OF YOU!" He jumped and slammed his fist into the ground, shaking the earth violently. No one needed to be told twice that time. Tikal was the only one who didn't move, glaring for the first time at her adoptive brother; faltering at Sonic's statement of, "Yeah, I'm gonna need a ride?" Tikal turned around just in time to catch the chameleon.

"Espio, wait!" He turned around just as she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him sweetly on the cheek.

Knuckles wheezed.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

"If he doesn't kill me first." Espio smiled, giving her one last hug before running off to catch up with the others, easily getting ahead because he was a speed type.

Tikal turned on Knuckles with a grumpy huff.

Knuckles winced. "Don't give me that."

"You deserve it! He's just my friend, Knuckles!"

"Yeah well...it didn't look that way! And...and...I don't like the way he looks at ya?"

"You mean like the way you look at Rouge?"

Knuckles went beet red, opening his mouth and closing it several times but nothing came out.

And Tikal knew she won.


	15. Change

**Definitely a lot more Sonamy in this chapter c; Read, review, and enjoy.**

* * *

Sonic sighed.

Sure, the crutches were a big help. But the longer he used them, the sadder he became. And the more he missed running. It's been about a month now, and he was starting to get antsy. Where was Eggman? Why couldn't he run? Do you not know where he could have been right now if it hadn't been for his injury? How annoying it was when his friends went out on adventures and missions..._without_ him?

Most of the time he was with Tails, who constantly worked on the Tornado and advancing his out-of-date tech. At least Tails left him alone with his thoughts, and only pushed when he knew he needed to. Knuckles constantly made fun of him, Shadow probably couldn't care less, Silver's blunt and exuberant attitude didn't settle well on Sonic's stomach, and the Chaotix weren't very good with advice either.

Cream, she and Tails almost always attached at the hip, was present and continuously made him flower crowns for him to wear. And despite her constant efforts to cheer him up, he just didn't feel...well, _happy_. Rouge was always working, but she occasionally gave him a call ; Sally met up with him in the park sometimes, and his talks with her were kinda nice. Blaze was maybe a little _too_ blunt, but then again honesty was the best policy, right?

Today he decided to spend his day with Amy. He sat on her couch, his crutches leaned up against the arm on his right. He felt like he hadn't truly smiled in forever, his face covered in a mask of glumness and depression.

"_Sonic_..." Amy sighed from behind him sadly.

"'M okay," he mumbled.

Amy walked around the couch to sit down next to him, personal space already out the window. He made no move to scoot away from her. Not like he could if he wanted anyway. She gazed at him in earnest until he finally looked over at her, her fingers playing together in her lap. "Sonic, talk to me. _Please._"

Sonic sighed again. "Okay...okay." His upper body turned into her direction, and she leaned on her side casually. "It just sucks, y'know? 'Cause everyone's going on with their lives and I'm just stuck in one place all the time. I hate that. I _hate_ that feeling. Like...like I can't do anything anymore. Like I'm not the same hero I was. What if I lose my stats? What if the world gives up on me? What if things will never be normal again? What if I can't _run_ again?" He met her gaze again, swallowing his pride. "What if Eggman comes back today? You got hurt...Tails got hurt...any one of us? And it's all my fault because I decided to be reckless."

"None of this is your fault. You were being yourself and you just got hurt in the process," Amy told him gently. Patiently.

Sonic leaned closer. "And if it wasn't for you, I probably woulda been a goner."

She shook her head. "Don't say that..."

"What? The truth?"

"You can't give me all the credit!"

"Why not? I've been saving you for as long as I can remember. It's nice to have the favor returned, ya know?"

Amy shrugged a shoulder, even if she was blushing now. "I'd do anything for you."

"I know." His lips started to pull up at the corners. "That's what can get you killed."

"If it means that you'll be...-"

"Hey, hey..." He propped her chin up with his knuckles, wiping away a stray tear. "What happened to Mrs. Positive, hm?" He grinned at her, and her lips quivered in response.

It took Sonic a moment to realize that she was subtly leaning.

And he was letting her.

His hand lowered from her face. Her eyes followed the brief movement before her lidded gaze settled on his once more, gauging his reaction as she continued to close the space between them. He felt his heart racing, and at any other time he would have left her in the dust. And even now, he could pull away at any second. But he wasn't. What changed? Why was he now wondering what it would be like to _kiss_ her?

The ghost of a grin came across his face as if to reassure her that this was okay. That he wasn't going to resist her for once. Amy nodded slightly, and his nod was smaller in return. He closed his eyes completely, unable to look anymore, leaning in the desired direction that drew him in. Their noses touched. His heart is pounding now. He could feel her warm breath, his mouth falling open, lips shaping themselves in a pucker.

Just as their lips caressed, Amy's phone rang. Sonic was brought back to reality, he and the pink hedgehog jumping to opposite ends of the couch, avoiding each other's gazes entirely. He worked on controlling his breathing, because right now his lungs weren't working with him at the moment.

"Hello?" He heard Amy say into the phone, through gritted teeth. Clearly agitated. "He's _fine_, Sally. _Yes_, I'm sure." There was a beat of silence, and he snuck a glance at her. She was as pink as her fur from head to toe, obviously flustered and annoyed. "_Yeah_," she hissed. "Ya _kinda did_." Sonic grinned at his lap, now knowing where her conversation was heading. "Nooo, it's totally cool, Sal! Because it's _bound_ to happen again!-don't give me that, you know how much I-!"

As if just realizing that Sonic was still there and hearing everything that was being said, she blushed deeper and cleared her throat. "We'll talk later. Go make out with Shadow or something-"

Sally's, _"Hey!"_ could clearly be heard, and Amy smirked smugly as she hung up the phone. Sonic chewed down hard on his tongue to keep himself from laughing.

Tossing her phone on the couch, Amy sighed heavily and bent over, running her fingers through her quills.

"I'm sorry," he heard her mumble pitifully into her hands as they slid down her face. "I wouldn't blame ya if you'd wanna leave now."

"Why would I do that?" Sonic asked with a frown.

"Because you always do?" Amy peeked at him through her fingers, speaking in a small voice.

Crap, she had a point. Again with the guilt-tripping!

"Whelp, two things wrong with what you just said. One, I can't exactly do anything about that. Yanno, with the whole _crutches_ thing-" He gestured mildly, and her bottom lip trembled. "And two-" He began to scoot closer to her, and she sat up straighter. "-don't start something you can't finish."

Her eyes brightened. "You mean-?"

He grinned, slipping an arm around her. "Where were we?"

Amy gasped, biting her lip to keep herself from smiling like an idiot. "Sonic...?"

Sonic winked at her. "Pucker up, buttercup."

She did not hesitate, and he felt her move under his fingertips. Smirking confidently, he applied pressure on the small of her back, pulling her closer. He tilted his head, closing his eyes just as their lips finally-

His communicator went off, and they jumped apart again. This time, his arm prevented her from moving too far. Jaw clenched Sonic slowly raised his wrist to eye-level, accepting the call. "WHAT?!"

_"U-Uh? Sonic?"_

"WHO ELSE?" Sonic barked. "What is it, Tails? No offense, but I was _kinda_ in the middle of something-"

_"I'm sorry, Sonic, but this is important!"_

"What could be more important than Amy?" Apparently his mouth now ran on no filter, and Amy's gotten to the point where she puts roses to shame.

Blushing, he could hear the amusement in Tails' silence.

_"Sally and I got a lock on Eggman. You need to get here right away!"_ Tails said.

"Eggman?" Sonic and Amy exclaimed simultaneously.

A portal appeared suddenly, and they watched as Shadow stepped out; a chaos emerald in hand.

"Yes, the Doctor. Now, are you two coming or not?"

:~:

The three hedgehogs appeared just outside of Tails' workshop.

"In here, everyone!" Cream held the front door open to the house for them, and they made a beeline for her instead, Shadow taking the lead while Amy stuck by Sonic's side.

"Um, Sonic?" Amy lowered her voice. "About before-?"

"Not now, Amy," he cut her off flatly under his breath.

She stopped walking and he didn't notice. Up until he got to the door at least. "Okay..." she mumbled brokenly.

Sonic paused and turned around, hesitating. After casting a quick look around, he pushed his crutches forward and pulled himself through until he was leaning in front of her.

"Later. I promise," he vowed, and he swooped in to kiss her cheek but caught the corner of her mouth instead. Her eyes went wide, he grinned and winked at her, and headed back inside; she following closely behind him.

Inside, they found Tails and Sally at the computer, Knuckles sitting on the couch, Shadow standing in the corner, and Cream passing around snacks.

"Glad ya made it," Tails greeted them.

"'Bout time," said Knuckles. "Are you done goofing around with your girlfriend?"

Sonic's back visibly stiffened, and Amy whirled around, stuffing her face with chocolate chip cookies; Cream eyed her best friend in concern, and it was reflected on Tails' end.

"Oh, Knuckles." Sonic sighed. "If only there was someone out there who loved you."

Amy was the first to burst into giggles, and Knuckles was absolutely not amused.

"So-what's Egghead up to, eh?" Sonic asked, winking in Amy's direction when he caught her eye.

"Tails and I have been tracking him all day, and we finally got a lock on him," Sally explained. "I called Amy earlier but _apparently_," she shot her a look, the latter sticking her tongue out, "she was in the middle of something...with _Sonic_." The chipmunk wagged her eyebrows.

And once more, all attention was on Sonic and Amy. Amy lunged at Cream for more cookies, and Sonic went very pink. Shaking it off, he covered his blunder with a teasing, "As much as I'd _love_ to talk gossip, I'd _much_ rather scramble that egg."

"I hate to agree with the Faker, but he's right. I did not come here to waste my time."

"Who invited him, anyway?" Knuckles grunted.

_"I_ did."

Knuckles froze as Rouge strutted her way into the room.

"What's the matter, Knuckie? Jealous?" Rouge smirked.

Knuckles blushed deeply, a beat of silence passing before he waved his fist to and fro. "You're batty!"

Sonic snickered. "Have I told you how much I love you, Rouge?"

Rouge winked at him. "You could stand to mention it more, Big Blue."

"Um, _hello_?" Amy spoke up, hands balled into tight fists, her face scrunched up. "Can we get back to Eggman please?"

Sonic's lips twitched; a jealous Amy is a very adorable Amy -when she's not trying to smash him with her Piko Piko Hammer that is.

"Awh, see? _I_ wanna kick some ass." He lets an arm fall casually around her shoulders. "_Ames_ wants to kick some ass-which is hot by the way-so why don't we get down to business?"

Tails' eyes went from the arm to Sonic's face, his blue eyes narrowing. "Riiight. Sonic, I think you should sit out on this one."

"Is Amy going? 'Cause I'm not going anywhere without her," Sonic told him matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but...-"

"Is Cream going?"

"I-I mean, if she wants, but-"

"So if you send her out there, you're saying that you're totally cool about it?"

"Sonic, what are you doin'?"

"You know exactly what I'm doin', pal. She goes, I go."

Tails looked from a shocked and awed Amy, to a determined Sonic, to a surprised Cream, and back again. Finally deciding. "Okay. Here's the plan..."

:~:

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Amy whispered, her head ducked.

"Trust me," Sonic whispered back, he too hiding his face from the world.

The couple walked through the busy streets of Station Square, their arms around each other, disguised to blend in with the crowd. The tech they wore as bracelets around their wrists made them appear differently to everyone else, but the same to each other. Sonic was red, and Amy was turquoise; they dressed casually, but in different styles than they would normally be sporting, matching nerd glasses on their faces.

Sonic pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Alright. Tails said that he was last seen over by City Hall..."

"I'm picking up activity from the casino area," Amy noted, looking at her communicator; Sonic leaned against her and she turned into him so he can take a look himself. "If we're gonna catch 'em-"

"We need to do it fast."

"And now."

"...Heh-heh."

"What?"

"That's what she said."

Amy scoffed, rolling her eyes and grabbed his hand to tug him along. "_Come on_."

:~:

Ivo Robotnik was in a tough situation. Long story short, he needed to get what he came to get and get out of there ASAP.

Bag over his shoulder, he tiptoed outside and looked around for any sign of his ride. What he found, however, was a pair of obnoxious-looking Mobian teenagers. And what's worse, he couldn't recognize them at all; but they were annoyingly familiar.

"Robbing casinos? Really, Eggman?" The boy said, his voice husky. Where had he heard his voice before? "That's a bit, ah, shady and um..._cliche_, don't ya think?"

Eggman's beady eyes narrowed. "Do I know you?"

The boy's eyes visibly darkened for a split second, and the evil villain could have sworn he saw a flicker of blue. "Oh, you know me _very well_."

The girl spoke up to break some of the tension, stepping forward. "Hand over the bag and no one gets hurt."

Eggman tilted his head in mock confusion, recognizing the fire in this girl's eyes. Realization dawned on him, and a sinister smirk began to spread. "No...I have a better idea." On cue, eggbots began to file out one by one. "Why don't you let me go...and no one gets hurt, hm?"

Sonic and Amy drew closer together as the eggbots surrounded them.

The speedster scoffed.

"The only one gettin' hurt here is _you._"

Eggman arched an eyebrow, but then jumped back several feet as Sonic swung one of his crutches over and around, hitting one eggbot dead in the head; destroying it instantly.

_"Amy? What's going on?"_ Sally demanded from Amy's earpiece. Amy's hand flew to her ear, eyes widening as she met Eggman's gaze. If she didn't do anything fast, then Eggman was gonna get away again. And it could be months before they find him again.

"Hold that thought, Sal!" Amy bolted and Eggman ran. She hoisted herself up, pushing down on the head of an eggbot and flipped over, landing smoothly on her feet. An eggbot ran for her, and she rolled over its shoulder, kicking her legs up and over; bringing it down with her and flipping it over, she wasted no time in home-attacking the rest to get to her enemy.

Sonic used his crutches to his advantage, having them do what his legs can't. He swung and dipped, dodging each attack that came to him. He risked glancing at Amy a few times, and boy had she picked up a few things from him. By the time the last eggbot fell, he watched her jump up and high, her legs wrapping around Eggman's throat in a vice grip; his head tilted to one side comically, wondering where in the world she had learned _that_-and by then Eggman was on his back, Amy holding him by the arm, her foot on his shoulder as if ready to dislocate it at any moment.

"Uncle, uncle, uncle!"

"What's in the bag, Egghead?" Sonic, now back to blue, managed to look cocky even in his crutches. He turned on the camera in his glasses with a tap of his finger, making it look like he was just pushing them up his nose again, so the live feed will be streaming back at the workshop.

"That's none of your business!" Eggman snapped. "Now can you control your little girlfriend and tell her to let me go?"

"Ya know, you're not the first person to call her that today?" Sonic used his left crutch to throw up the bag and he caught it as it came back down. "Amazing, isn't she?"

"_Sonikku_..." Amy purred, letting Eggman go, instead stepping around to get to the blue blur instead. Sonic wagged his eyebrows and she giggled, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

And just when Eggman tried to sneak away, both hedgehogs turned abruptly, Amy's foot coming down hard on Eggman's hand.

Eggman let out a not-so-manly squeak.

"Yeeeeeah, I'm just gonna let her make her own decisions, so your pain is not my responsibility whatsoever. _Anyway_. Bag. Yes." Sonic opened it and found-"What do you need this for? Aren't you like, kinda rich or somethin'?"

"You think being an evil genius is easy?" Eggman wheezed, and Amy lifted her foot. Eggman kissed his fingers gingerly, glaring in Amy's direction.

"'Evil geniuses' normally have minions do all of their dirty work, don't they?"

Eggman didn't answer, and Sonic exchanged glances with Amy.

"No emeralds this time, huh?" Sonic narrowed his eyes.

"As far as you know." Eggman glared coldly.

_Liar_. Clenching his jaw, he remained cool. "Okay. I'm bored. Here's your stupid bag." He threw it at his face, and Eggman swore. "When you're done with your errands, let me know when you want that rematch."

And with that, Sonic walked away. Amy gave Eggman one last glare before she turned and jogged to keep up with her hero.

* * *

"Did you get what I asked for?"

Eggman dumped everything out, falling to the floor with a _clang_. Nodding his head wordlessly and refusing to meet the other's gaze.

"Good, good...You listen pretty well for someone who never shuts up." The silhouette gets up from his seat in the shadows, his back to Eggman as he began to pace; arms behind his back. "Phase One complete..."

He turned around completely, drawing closer to the two large green tubes connected to a machine and dashboard that was stationed at the very center back of the room. Inside each tube was a teenaged boy and girl, their bodies completely morphed into the new Mobian forms they had been given with chaos power.

The evil hedgehog smirked at his work, his white teeth razor sharp but shining in the moonlight. "Phase Two is now in progress."


	16. Strawberries

**Huge thanks to those who read and reviewed the last chapter! Sorry I didn't come up with a cool intro ;P**

**I hope this chapter makes up for the wait ;D**

* * *

"Uuuuuhhhh..." Sonic whined under his breath.

"I'll pay someone ten rings to shut. Him. Up." Knuckles narrowed his eyes.

_"Uuuuuhhhh..."_

"Pay up," Shadow deadpanned.

_"UUuuuhhhh..."_

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?"

_"**UUUUUUUHHHH**._"

Tails chuckled, watching as his best friend collapsed on the couch, bored out of his mind. "What's wrong, Sonic?"

"I haven't seen Amy all _DAAAAAY_," Sonic whined.

"Quit being a little b-"

"Knuckles!"

"What? We all know how whipped Sonic is, but that doesn't mean he should be a baby about it."

_"WHAT?!_ I am _not_ whipped!" Sonic automatically sat up straight, his movement so fast that he became a blur for a split second. "I-I just - ...huh."

"You just what?"

"I - I don't know."

"Shocker," said Knuckles.

"What's with you two anyway?" So far, Tails was Sonic's favorite person in the room at the moment. He may not like where this conversation was headed, but at least Tails was being patient and genuine about it.

"I don't know," said Sonic honestly, now staring up at the ceiling.

"Do ya like her?"

"Yeah, so?"

Tails chuckled. "I mean_ like_ her."

It took him longer to answer this time. "...No...I -I don't know...I don't have time for-"

"Please. Your legs are outta whack and you've got nowhere else to go. You have all the time in the world," Knuckles laughed darkly.

"I just don't wanna hurt her," _more than I already have._ "Sure, she's in love with me, yeah, she's my friend, yeah, I care about her a lot. But..."

The room got really quiet.

"There was a time when we...when we almost..._k-kissed_." He closed his eyes tight. Maybe if he got everything off his chest, he'd feel better afterwards. "And the thing is? I didn't even stop her. I actually...kind of...wanted to? I mean, she deserved it right? A little kiss wouldn't hurt, I guess? Right?"

He peeped open one eye, looking at Tails and no one else. Tails just lifted a shoulder.

"Have ya ever considered the fact that you just might like her, Sonic?"

His pink muzzle gave the blue speedster away. Yes. Yes he has. Several times. Would he ever admit this out loud? Haha **N O**.

"Would it make everyone's life easier if I just say yes to all of the above?"

"Yeah."

"Pretty much."

"Mhm."

_*insert Shadow's sigh here*_

"Okay. Then fine. Yes. I _sorta kinda maybe_ like Amy. Happy now?" Sonic threw his hands up in defeat.

"Dude. Do you know how long everyone's been waiting for you to say that?" Silver lounged in the air, sprawled lazily in the open space. "Lemme tell ya! Having a girlfriend is way better than not having one - no offense to you guys," he added when Knuckles and Shadow glared at him. "I-It's not something you can force!" he went on. "It'll just happen, yanno?"

Sonic nodded, trusting Silver's judgement. At least_ he_ knew what he was talking about.

"Soooo now that you've admitted it, don't cha feel a lot better?"

"I guess..." Sonic rubbed his abdomen. "But my stomach's all...-"

"Yeah. I know." Silver grinned. "Get used to it."

Sonic was quiet for a while. His friends stared at him, wondering what caused him to zone out for so long.

"Sonic?" Tails said finally. Sonic's green eyes slowly lifted from their blank state on the floor, to a more readable expression. Realization and adoration written all over his face.

His lips pulled up in a smile that wasn't cocky at all, but awed instead.

"I..._I like Amy_."

* * *

He was pretty sure 'like' was an understatement, but he didn't want to give himself a headache over it.

Oh man. He liked Amy.

Like...the _like_ like kind.

Oh man.

Oh man oh man oh man oh man oh man.

Early the next morning, he decided to ditch the crutches. Screw it. He missed running, he missed her, and this was all so new to him, and he was scared for multiple reasons at a time, and-yeah. Basically. Simple enough, right?

"C'mon, Sonic. You can do it. After all, who's the fastest thing alive?"

He took one step forward, his speed picking up at the wrong time. Before he knew it, he was face down in the grass, his butt sticking up in the air.

"Obviously not you," Knuckles chuckled.

Knuckles? Crap! How long had he been standing there?

"You just wait, Knuckles! I'll be back on my feet in a jiff! Then I'll be ready to take you on." Sonic sat upright, clumsily getting up to his feet and limping back over to where his crutches lay.

"Are ya sure this is a good idea, Sonic? I don't want ya to get yourself hurt-"

"Nah, I'm fine, Tails. If at first ya don't succeed, try try again! So that's what I'm doin'."

But Tails had to watch his best friend hurt himself further as he zoomed sloppily from yard to yard. When he thought he couldn't take it anymore, Sonic got right back up again; even if the pain still rang clear in his eyes. He was only going to make things worse.

Amy arrived a few hours later, surprised as the scene unraveled before her. A worried Tails, Sonic without his crutches, and Knuckles looking smug.

"Ames! Glad I caught ya!"

"Sonic? What's going-?"

"Don't move!" Sonic threw his hands out desperately.

Amy automatically froze. "What? Why? What's wrong? What's happening?"

"I need you to..." His voice was swallowed in the wind.

"Whaaat?" Amy called back, cupping her hands over her mouth.

"I want you to run as fast as you can!" Sonic boomed. "And whatever you do, **don't stop**, okay? I wanna try something!"

Amy frowned. What was he up to?

But she turned around and ran back in the direction she came.

Sonic anchored himself to her. Amy. _It's Amy, dude. This happens all the time._ Only this time, it's the other way around. This time, _he_ was the one chasing _her_.

_Here we...GO!_

He was gone, and both Tails and Knuckles bolted upright as they saw a blue streak in their friend's place.

Amy was fast, but he was faster.

The pink hedgehog didn't even get that far...compared to Sonic, at least. She knew that.

What she didn't know was that the Blue Blur was racing after her. And he was getting closer.

Amy nearly ran into him, would've slammed into his body if his arms hadn't shot out to catch her. Gasping sharply, she took a moment to take in her new surroundings.

Sonic beat her to it.

Sonic was standing in front of her.

Sonic...had **_ran_**.

"Don't worry, Amy, I got'cha." He grinned down at her.

"You...you..._you just_-!"

Sonic laughed and nodded, repeating the action as one thought came after another; incoherent babbling. She was just as shocked and awed as he was

"Are you okay? I mean - - are you hurting? Are you hurt?" Amy's hands flew out with uncertainty, not knowing where to go. Sonic was faintly aware that his were still on her arms.

"Nope! But now that I think about it, I _might_ regret it later..." Sonic squinted his eyes at nothing in particular, zoning out for a second.

Amy giggled a little. "So you're good? You can run again?"

Sonic's attention was drawn back to her, grinning down at her. "Well, let's find out, shall we?" He bent, scooping her up swiftly, and barely gave her time to react before he was off for the hills, running at the speed of sound.

* * *

You know what? He doesn't regret a thing.

With Amy in his arms, he _ran_. She clutched him tighter, he ran faster. Man, he missed this!

Sonic is back, baby!

And after what only felt like _forever_, he finally stopped, letting Amy jump down from his arms. They were standing in a wide field, covered in white and light purple blooming flowers and very green grass. The sky was bright and blue, and the clouds looked like pearly white cotton balls, the sun just barely peeking out.

"Sonic, this is beautiful!" Amy beamed, clasping her hands together and turning around to face him, her eyes lit with fascination. "Where are we?"

"Eh, one of my favorite spots." Sonic shrugged, hands on his hips and a grin present on his face. "Pretty, ain't it?"

"_Amazing!_" _And romantic!_ Amy watched him plop himself down casually under a tree, lounging back in a comfortable position. _Or...a good place to nap, I guess._..

"Are you going to stand there all day or-"

Amy snapped out of her reverie, cheeks pink. "Uh?"

Sonic grinned wider, arms behind his head. _Got her_. "Come here."

Slowly, Amy walked over to where he sat, confusion ( and anticipation ) written all over her features, and began to sit.

_"It'll just happen, yanno?"_

His arms fell from around his head and around her small frame instead; Amy didn't take a lot of coaxing, but she sure did look bewildered, following the direction of his tugging.

And before she knew it, she was nestled snugly in his lap. Sonic couldn't see her face, but he just knew that her cheeks were rosy red, and her eyes looked like they were about to fall out of their sockets. Grinning softly, he let his chin fall on the top of her head, and let his fingers lace lazily over her stomach. He felt her finally relax after a few moments, her hands resting just above his.

"Sonic?"

"Hm?"

Her eyes flickered left and right, trying to stop the gleeful smile that was spreading across her face like wildfire. "Are you..._okay?_"

He gently squeezed her, smiling wider as he closed his eyes. His ears did not miss the adorable little squeal she made when he did that. "Never better."

Amy chewed down on her bottom lip. "Are you...gonna take a nap now?"

"You bet."

He wasn't the only one who dozed off either.

* * *

The two hedgehogs didn't get back home until after dark. Sonic spent the entire day with her to make up for lost time. They revisited several of their favorite places, grabbed ice cream in Apotos, and even had Italian in Spagonia.

"I had so much fun with you today, Sonic!" Amy was gushing as he walked her up to her door. "This was the best day ever!" Sonic chuckled, giving a little start as she whirled on him abruptly and exclaimed, "Can we do it again?"

"Am I the fastest thing alive?" he grinned back at her, and she squealed and glomped him in enthusiasm. He patted her back awkwardly, laughing nervously now. "Alright, Amy. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Pouting, Amy pulled away and flashed him a grin. "Thanks again, Sonic."

The smile was returned. "No problem."

They stood there on the porch together, gazes lingering. Amy could've sworn she saw Sonic look at her lips then back up at her eyes just as quickly; and she was mirroring him. She started to lean up on her tiptoes-

"I-I..should probably get going..." Sonic blurted out, slightly jumping, and she leaned back automatically. "You know. Tails is probably wondering where I am."

"Right." Amy nodded rapidly, then closed her eyes tight and shook her head in the same speed. "Of course. Yeah. Goodnight, Sonic."

"Goodnight, Amy." He smiled wryly at her, hanging his head as he turned on his heel and began to walk away from her. _How could he be so stupid? You're tapping out again! Way to go, Hedgehog. You hurt her_.

Sonic then came to a very abrupt stop, a thoughtful look taking over his face, narrowing his eyes as he lifted his head. "You know what?"

Amy turned around, eyebrows furrowing as she watched Sonic walk back to her with a determined look on his face.

"I'm done running."

Marching up the steps, he grabbed her by the waist, lifted her up to his eye level, and kissed her.

Full. On. The mouth.

He knew he caught her off guard. How many times has he done it today? 'Cause this wouldn't be the first. And probably not the last either. But _man,_ were her lips soft. Like, super soft. And nice. And plump. And - _hmm._ Was that strawberries?

Amy had gone rigid the moment their lips touched, but not two seconds later did she relax and kiss him back and man oh man _oh man_. This is nice. This is very nice. She _smelled_ nice. She_ looked_ nice. She _tasted_ nice. Everything _about_ her was _so nice_, ya know?

_Damn, I'm poetic._

Slowly - and _reluctantly_ \- he set her down, breaking their kiss with a soft smack. Her arms were pinned to her sides by the way his arms were wrapped around her still. His eyes were open before hers were, muzzles flushed, identical smiles beginning to grow again.

"Alright," Sonic whispered, tapping her arms a few times with his knuckles, rubbing her from her shoulders back down to her hands. "I gotta go."

Amy nodded, too stunned for words.

Sonic let her go, and by then she was beaming at him. Her happiness was contagious, and he was positive his smile was very goofy and stupid.

Did he care?

Nope.

"I'll see ya later." He's down the stairs, raising two fingers in a casual wave, smile still present. And he's pretty sure that any moment now his heart was gonna burst out of his chest.

She finally found her voice. "Okay." She bit down on her lip again, pulling it through her teeth as she watched him with shining eyes.

"Bye." He made no hurry to leave.

"Bye." She didn't want him to either.

He winked at her, and then he was gone, leaving his signature blue streak behind him. Sighing blissfully, Amy unlocked her front door and walked inside her house, closing the door and leaning her back against it. Catching her breath.

Three. Two. One-

Amy squealed at the top of her lungs.


	17. Reactions

**Whoooa so many reviews on the last chapter! Thanks a bunch!**

**[ I mean I have a feeling why but still, you guys are amazing ]**

* * *

Rouge held her phone away from her ear as a loud squeal rang from it.

"Well hello to you too, Pinky."

"SONIC KISSED ME!"

Rouge made an inhuman noise.

* * *

_"PINKY, OPEN THE DOOR."_

Amy stumbled downstairs, clad into her pajamas, and swung the door open just as Rouge came in, tugging in a sleepy looking Sally by the ear, and the rest of her friends behind the ivory bat ; Cream, Blaze, and Tikal, whom were in their pajamas as well, looked equally tired, but Cream and Tikal had smiles on their faces.

"Uh-?"

Cream flew into Amy's arms, embracing her tight. "Rouge told us what happened. We had to get here as fast as we could! I'm so happy for you, Amy!"

"You sure this isn't another one of your one-sided - -" Blaze rubbed the last remainder of sleep out of her eyes.

"No!" Amy's smile could even put the sun to shame. _"He_ kissed _me!_ Sonic kissed _me_ first!"

The girls gaped at her.

"Are you serious?" said Sally.

Amy nodded. "It really happened, Sally! He chased me for the first time and he got his speed back! Then we spent the whole day together...he let me sit in his lap while he took a nap..." She sighed blissfully. "Then we grabbed Italian and ice cream and visited our favorite places all around the world! He ran me back home and walked me to my door and then..." She bit her lip, but her smile did not leave her face.

"And then...what?" Rouge prodded.

"He started to shy away from me..." Her face fell in the slightest. "I really thought that he was going to run away again. But he stopped when he was mere feet away from my yard and he turned around and..."

"He..._kissed_ you," Sally finished, eyes widening, and Amy nodded again eagerly.

"Wow." Tikal smiled, happy for her friend.

"Like, was it a little peck, or was it an actual-"

_"Kiss_," Amy finished for Sally. She touched her bottom lip with her forefingers, still relishing in the feel of his lips on hers ; tingling.

Rouge leaned forward. "Was there tongue?"

"No!" Amy blushed, her hand immediately falling down to her side, and Sally shot Rouge a look.

"What? A girl's gotta know." Rouge smirked.

"So does this mean that you and Sonic are...?" Tikal's voice trailed off.

"Of course it does. A guy doesn't kiss a girl like _that_ and stay friends with her," said Sally.

"And how would _you_ know? Oh right, you _wouldn't_..." Rouge teased, pretending to ponder thoughtfully. "Somebody's gonna grow a beard by the time you and Shadow-"

Sally coughed, glaring darkly at the bat, and Amy giggled.

"May I sleep here tonight, Amy? Mother doesn't mind."

"Sure, Cream. Make yourself at home." Amy smiled down at her best friend. "You guys can stay here too, if you wanna-"

"Say no more." Blaze stretched and mewled, laying down on the couch and curling up. Sally smiled a little and nodded, touching Amy's arm as she passed her, and made herself comfortable on the other couch. Tikal followed suit, laying on the floor just in front of the couch that Sally was sleeping on.

Rouge followed Cream and Amy to her bedroom. Amy slid back into her usual side of the bed, while Cream climbed in on the other, the two laying on their sides facing each other. When the bat didn't join them, Amy sat up some.

"Rouge?"

"I_ should_ be at work," Rouge started, a hand on her hip.

"Work can wait. Get in here."

Rouge smirked but nodded nonetheless, closing the door behind herself.

"You can - " yawn - "wear some of my clothes if you want." Amy sunk back into her sheets.

"Appreciate it, Pinky, but I'm fine." Rouge was curvier, and the pink hedgehog's clothes were a bit too tight for her liking. So she slipped out of her boots and sunk down on the foot of the bed, tucking herself in and folding her wings around her.

"Goodnight," Cream whispered into the darkness.

"Goodnight," Amy echoed.

"'Night," Rouge stifled a yawn.

The three were fast asleep within minutes.

* * *

"I still want proof. There's still no way that Big Blue had..."

Rouge, who had been walking with Amy and Cream, stopped talking altogether when they saw Sonic appear just outside of Tails' workshop; the blue hedgehog had just returned from one of his morning runs and was now admiring the view that the rising sun was providing. Today was as beautiful as the last.

And then he spotted them, giving them a wave and his signature cocky grin in greeting. Amy waved back frantically and didn't wait up for her friends as she took off running for the long stairs. Sonic grinned wider, actually _taking his time_ in nearing the steps. They met in the middle, Sonic holding out his arms and Amy flying into them, twirling her around once before setting her down on her feet; smiling into each other's shoulders.

Rouge wanted to vomit._ Where is that kiss?_

"Hi, Sonic!" Cream tugged Rouge along, so eager to get to the top that she flapped her ears and flew. The bat sighed and let her do so, _even though she could fly herself, thank you_.

"Hey guys." Sonic and Amy had parted by now, and Rouge noted the lack of personal space; this wasn't new, but how relaxed Sonic was about it was. "We're in the workshop but we'll meet you in the house in a bit. Come on in!"

Cream nodded and smiled. "Rouge?"

"Yeah, I'm coming." Rouge kept her eye on the two hedgehogs, following her younger friend inside the house.

Two pairs of green eyes met.

"Hi." A lame greeting, sure, but Amy didn't care; she began chewing on her bottom lip again, playing with her fingers.

"Hi." He flashed her a dashing grin. Sonic watched her go reluctantly inside the house, amusement dancing in his bright green orbs as she kept looking back at him, as if he'll disappear at any moment. He walked the opposite direction, speeding into the workshop and stopping with swiftness and grace.

"Guess who's here?" He leaned back casually against the wall.

"Your girlfriend?" Knuckles teased, handing Tails a tool; he was still in denial that Sonic kissed her, and wouldn't believe it until he saw it happen.

"Yeesss," Sonic said, opening one eye to grin in the echidna's direction.

Tails, peeping his head out from under the Tornado, was the opposite; he believed Sonic, and was happy that his big brother finally made a move. Seeing the yellow kitsune, Sonic added artfully, "Her too."

"She's not alone?"

"Nope." Sonic's lips popped on the 'p'.

"Cream?" Tails perked up in hope.

"And Rouge." Sonic loved watching Knuckles go rigid.

Tails bolted, knocking his tools everywhere as he clumsily slid out from under their plane and stood up straight, grabbing the nearest towel. "Why didn't ya say so?" Tails wiped himself down until he was cleared of dirt and grime, and nearly skipped to the door that connected the workshop to the house, a grumbling Knuckles and a smug Sonic right behind him.

The girls were in the kitchen, talking among themselves, when the other three arrived. The conversation stopped altogether.

Amy got out of her seat, immediately going to Sonic, who was already heading in her direction. She saw the look in his eyes, the same look he had last night right before he -

\- _kissed her._

She was prepared this time, as thrilled and giddy she was; when his hands curved around her elbows, her hands flew to his face and she leaned up on her tiptoes just as he started to bend, their lips meeting for the second time. Short and sweet.

Knuckles' mouth dropped to the floor, and Rouge's head went down a fraction, her mouth agape. Tails and Cream exchanged glances, big smiles on their faces.

"I meant to do that earlier," Sonic said, and Amy giggled.

"...I'm gonna need therapy," Knuckles wheezed.

* * *

"Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"Are we...are we like..." Amy blushed, "a-are we...boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

Sonic swallowed the rest of his ice cream cone in one big gulp, patting his belly. He knew this question would come sooner or later; she wanted confirmation. She wanted to hear it officially. He stopped walking, and so did she, gazing up at him with wide eyes.

"What do you think we are?" he asked instead, arms casually behind his back.

"...What do _you_ think we are?" she countered back in a small voice.

Sonic smirked. "Lemme ask you this then - who do you want me to be?"

Amy's answer came in a mumble.

"What was that? Can't hear ya, Ames." The smirk widened.

Amy took a deep breath. "I want you to be that someone who I've always wanted to call my boyfriend...and not get shot down by it." It was always _'self-proclaimed'_ this, and _'it'll never happen'_ that, and _'he'll never love you'_ this, and_ 'you're just a fangirl'_ that. _'You mean nothing to him'_. _'He only lets you stick around because he can never get rid of you'_. _'You're just a damsel in distress'_._ 'Always in the way'_. _'Why don't you do the world a favor and just drop dead?'_

"Okay," Sonic's voice brought her out of her depressing thoughts, immediately perking up as he came closer. "We can do that."

"Be boyfriend and girlfriend?" Amy started to smile.

"Yeah." He smiled back. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

He leaned down. _"I _get to be the _boyfriend."_

* * *

**Next chapter is longer, I promise :]**


	18. A New Opponent

**Guess who's back in school. Whee.**

* * *

"It's about time I went grocery shopping," Amy mused as she walked down the sidewalk. "Sonic's gonna be _starving_ by the time he comes back from his mission!" A sudden thought occurred to her and her face fell slightly. "I hope he makes it back okay..." _Of course he's gonna make it back okay! He always does_.

_So why am I so worried?_

_Oh...right. It's been three days._

The fur on the back of her neck stood up on end. Someone was following her.

\- or some_thing_.

_"You again?!"_ Amy dropped her bags, summoning her hammer automatically at the sight of ZERO, one of the first of Eggman's robots that Amy fought on her own. She was sure he was nothing but a pile of scraps and metal when she was done with him. Oh well. She did it once, and she can do it again! Amy advanced on ZERO, unafraid and hammer raised. ZERO locked on to her and prepared to shoot.

Amy jumped, bringing her hammer up from down below, preparing herself for the mighty blow.

And then everything went...black?

* * *

When Amy opened her eyes, her head started to throb. She winced, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment or two.

..._The heck?_

She lay in her bed -_ how did I get home?_ \- and that's when she realized -

"Sonic?"

_She wasn't alone_.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Sonic grinned, and she felt her face light up. "How ya feelin'?"

"I'm better now." _So much better_. "But what happened to me? Why are you back so early? Did you find Eggman?"

"Slow down, Ames." Sonic chuckled. "I'm just glad you're finally awake."

"How long have I been out?"

"Two hours."

"And how long have you been in here?"

"...Two minutes." Her mouth dropped. "What? Two minutes is too long for me!" he joked, his eyes softening as he went on, "Cream found you while you were unconscious, and she called us right after. I got here as fast as I could." Which was pretty fast. "I was...well...I was worried about ya, Amy."

"You were worried about me?" Her heart fluttered. "_I_ was worried about _you_. I didn't know where you were. I couldn't _stand_ not knowing."

The familiar words sobered him quickly, and his lips began to tug at the corners. He scooped her hands up into his own, lacing their fingers. Playing with hers. "Know what? I should start listening to you more often," he tutted.

"Really?" She watched their hands, slowly dancing together in reunion.

Sonic nodded, absentmindedly stroking her knuckles with his thumbs.

"Well it's about time!" Amy exclaimed dramatically, and Sonic laughed. "It's not funny! I've been on missions with you a like, a bunch of times-"

"Stalking me doesn't count, Amy," Sonic teased, and Amy's mouth dropped again in disbelief. "I'm kidding,_ I'm kidding._" He bent down and nuzzled her neck, to which she squealed and made a weak attempt to get away, but he only pulled her closer, her head tucked underneath his chin. Amy wrapped her arms around his torso and curled into him, her eyes closing for a moment or two. Relishing in their closeness. She loved this side of him. It was so rare before, showing affection. But now it was almost _too easy_.

Sonic stared ahead, the setting sun reflecting in his eyes. His mind began to drift elsewhere, focus on the pink hedgehog snuggled in his arms. This has Eggman written all over it. He just knew it. Amy could take care of herself, of course, but the fact that she was knocked out so quickly bothered him. He'll have to talk to Tails and Knuckles later and see what they're thinking. Hopefully Tails already has a plan.

"Sonic?"

"Hm?" he hummed in reply.

"What happened to me?" she mumbled into his fur, her voice muffled and small.

He shrugged, giving her hip a little squeeze. "I don't know. We'll figure somethin' out. We always do, right?"

There was a smile in her voice now. "Right." She lifted her head to look up at him, and he met her gaze, smiles widening simultaneously.

"Wanna get outta here?"

"Now?"

"Right now. C'mon." He sat up, pulling her up by the hand.

"Where are we going?" She hopped out of bed, and he effortlessly slung her over onto his back.

"You'll see!"

* * *

"Amy!" Cream flew into Amy's arms, the pink hedgehog hugging her back just as tightly. "I'm so glad you are okay!"

"It's good to see you, Pinky," Rouge said, joining the two; Amy standing in the middle.

"You too, Rouge. Have I missed anything?"

"Not really." It was Tails who spoke this time, smiling in Amy's direction; she returned it automatically.

"I wanna know why nobody's trying to figure this out," said Knuckles, frowning deeply. "You're a spy, aren't you?" He directed his frustration on Rouge, who arched an eyebrow blankly. "Why aren't you in Station Square?"

"My work alliance is to G.U.N., Knuckie." Rouge rolled her eyes. "If I knew something already, then wouldn't I tell you?"

"...Is that a trick question?"

Rouge smirked.

"You're batty!"

"**_Children_**," Sonic interjected in a mocking tone.

Tails shook his head. "They've been at it for hours."

"I'm shocked."

Cream left to get snacks for Sonic and Amy, Knuckles and Rouge remained bickering in their little bubble, Sonic and Tails were already discussing their next plan, and Amy sat down on the couch. She watched Sonic absentmindedly the whole time, he catching her eye every once in a while and winking at her every time he caught her staring at him. Amy giggled.

"You okay?" he asked as he walked over to her, holding his hands out for her to take. She had been quiet, quieter than usual, and he didn't like it. She nodded and smiled up at him, taking his outstretched hands and standing up, but he squeezed her hands and studied her face closely. "Come on, Ames. What are ya thinkin'?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" She smiled maybe a little too brightly, and he gave her a skeptical look. Amy sighed in defeat. "It's just...it's just for the first time in forever that I feel - well - _hopeless!"_ She lowered her head. "I don't like that feeling..."

He frowned.

She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I'm gonna go get some air."

"I'll go-"

"_Alone_," she enunciated, pulling away from him; he watched her leave with concern, staring after her sadly.

Their fingers were the last to part.

"I'm worried about her, buddy," Sonic said quietly, feeling Tails' presence behind him.

The kitsune put his hand on the blue hero's shoulder. "Don't worry, Sonic. She'll come around."

Amy watched the night sky above with narrowed, jade eyes. Why was she so weak? All she ever wanted to do was help. What she always ended up doing was cause more trouble. Maybe she really was just a damsel in distress.

No, no...She's saved people before. She saved Sonic even. That counts, right?

_Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night._

Amy sighed and buried her face in her hands. Why was this so hard? Life wasn't fair.

_It never is_.

"You know, when I caught you, I thought you'd be more of a challenge."

The unfamiliar voice made Amy bolt, immediately flying to her feet defensively. "Who's there?" she demanded, looking around with sharp eyes.

"_Boo_." The voice came from directly behind her and she whirled, hammer out and ready to strike. But the pink hedgehog had to do a double take at her opponent. The person was a...cat?-with pearly white fur and a muzzle to match, azure eyes, medium-length auburn hair, and a long tail that flowed gracefully behind her. She wore a white and gold dress that seemed pretty princess-y, with strappy shoes to match. Her voice was as soft and gentle as Cream's, but that only made Amy's situation more creepy.

Amy squinted. "Who are you?"

_Why do I feel like I know this girl?_

"You mean you haven't guessed yet?" the other girl mocked before smirking, sinking into a crouch; she sounded strangely apologetic. This didn't make any sense! "_You will soon._"

Amy growled, and that's when the two lunged at each other.

"_Who **are** you?_" Amy grunted, swinging her leg up for a swift kick; the other girl grabbed her foot before it could hit her square in the chest, pushing Amy back and advancing on her once more.

"You'll have to knock me down first!" She challenged.

For some reason, a very Sonic-like grin spread across Amy's face. "Fair enough!"

As long as she's loved Sonic, she loved nothing more than a challenge. The girl lunged, and Amy neatly dodged, sliding on the ground by the hip, flicking her leg up to trip her. She tumbled over but pushed herself upright, ready to lung at Amy again. Amy jumped and kicked her foot, she ducking just in time, and Amy landed right behind her. Her kick was swift to the cat's rear, and her enemy was sent pummeling into the grass.

"Knocked ya down!" Amy dusted herself off, hands on her hips. "Now who the heck are ya?"

"I stand corrected about your strength." The cat stood slowly, smoothing her hands down her dress. "He's not going to be too happy about this..." she murmured to herself.

"Who's _he?"_ Amy demanded.

She shook her head, smirking once more. "Curiosity killed the cat."

And with that, she ran right for Amy, jumping over her head and using the hedgehog's shoulders for leverage to flip herself over. Kicking off hard, this time she knocked Amy down into the dirt before running for the trees.

Amy wasn't going to give up that easily.

Because she ran right after her.

"Amy!"

"She's getting away!" Amy yelled, not stopping in her stride, leaping over a fallen log. Sonic, having caught up to her by now, frowned at her before following her gaze to the running cat.

"Hm..._no problem!"_ Sonic was gone, leaving his signature blue streak behind him. Amy didn't find the patience to be mad at him. That this was _her_ fight. That he had _no right_ to intervene.

Was this how it felt for him? When she would show out of nowhere, as if she knew where he was 24/7?

Amy was fast; but he was always faster.

So it surprised her that right when they reached the cliffside, the girl jumped, so did Sonic; but right when he grabbed her, she disappeared. Into_ thin air._ Sonic yelped as he fell over the edge, the sea raging below. His hands shot up, desperate to find something to grab. But he didn't have to.

Because Amy caught him firmly by the wrist, leaning just over the edge to catch him. "I got'cha!" _I'm never letting you go again. Not this time._

Sonic grinned up at her, throwing his other arm up so she could grab it. She pulled, grunting as she hoisted him up and over. He swung his legs up for an extra boost, climbing up next to her.

Amy threw her arms around his neck, he holding her close for a moment or two before they parted, relief easily written on both of their faces.

"Ames, what happened back there?" Sonic asked, squeezing her arm in earnest.

"I don't know." Amy shook her head, letting it hang. "I thought I had her. I was so sure that I had her! I failed..."

"Hey, hey." His hands smoothed up her arms to grasp her shoulders, she looking up with tears in her eyes. "You were great."

"No I wasn't!"

"Why didn't you call me?"

"Because I wanted to handle this on my own for once! For once I wanted to save the day without calling for help or getting captured!" Amy exclaimed, and his frown saddened, gaze sympathetic. "I'm always the damsel! I'm always the one causing more trouble just because I wanna help and get your attention!" A single tear streamed down her muzzle, her jade eyes shimmering. "Why do I even bother? I'll never be as amazing and as life-changing as you, or as smart as Tails, or as strong as Knuckles, or as experienced as Shadow and Rouge - even Cream has so much going for herself! I'm just...just _dead weight_!"

And that's when she broke down completely, falling forward. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest; into his lap. She curled into him, shaking with tears.

"W-Why are you with me, Sonic?" she choked back on another sob. "You pity me, don't you? That's why you...!-"

Startled, Sonic shook his head against her quills, holding her tighter. "What are you talking about? Amy, you're not dead weight! Do you not know how - how _special_ you are?" He wasn't good with words, but Chaos was he trying."No one expects ya to be like any of us. We don't want you to be like us. You _are_ one of us. You always have been, okay? That's not gonna change."

Amy's only response was a nasal sniff, so he went on. "Ames...look. You're like...like the toppings of a strawberry sundae." He could see the eyebrow raise and started grinning. "Right? We all have our part - yours is making everything sweeter." Yeah. That works. Good metaphor. "You're like the heart of the group. You keep us together, you set us straight, you make sure we're all okay...-And as your boyfriend, you constantly put up with my shit."

The slight, sheepish nod of her head had him continue. "You're more of a hero than you realize, yanno? Yeah, sure, ya get kidnapped and used as bait a lot, but that's only because Egghead is smart. You don't exactly keep your feelings about me to yourself-" She feebly punched him, and he laughed. "He knows that I'll never give up on you. Whenever you're in trouble, I always come runnin'."

He looked down at the top of her head softly, "But that's what I'm good at. _Running_. I'm the fastest thing alive!...So the thought of someone slowing me down kinda freaked me out."

"Why?" Amy mumbled.

"'Cause I'm Sonic the Hedgehog! I save the world on a daily basis. I live for adventure and _fun_ and _freedom_. I don't have time for relationships." He felt her slump against him, but his grip only tightened. "Being tied down by an amazing girl that I might lose scared me," he admitted quietly. "I ran away because I was stupid and ignorant and oblivious. I ran 'cause I didn't know how I felt, and I didn't wanna think about those things." Funny how he could say this so easily out loud than the alphabet soup he called his thoughts.

He closed his eyes. "I don't wanna run anymore. I don't wanna miss out on what's been right here in front of me all this time. I've never been someone's boyfriend before - let alone _yours_ \- and I just don't wanna screw this up."

His words surprised her, burning bright right through her soul. This was how he really felt about her. He was being truly honest, for the first time. And even sweeter, his words were for her ears and her ears alone.

She finally sat up, her eyes shining again; but they were far from tears.

"Do you really mean that, Sonic?"

He grinned down at her, green eyes twinkling. "Well sure I mean it, Amy. I_ think you're just about the cutest thing I've ever seen."_

Amy giggled at the familiarity, wondering if he was going to go further with this.

"The way you swing that little hammer of yours around...my heart beats a million times a minute!"

Her giggles intensified. Yes, he was.

"I know. You could never care for somebody like me...I guess that's just the way it has to be..."

She watched as he got up to his feet, striking a dramatic pose, his hand hanging over his face. "Perhaps I could go on! _If you would only swing that hammer once more_...-"

Amy sprung to her feet, playing along as she summoned her beloved weapon. "You want it? You got it!"

She swung it to and fro violently, and he grinned. The fire and passion was back in her eyes; no sign of sadness or anger. So he wasn't afraid of her hammer. She wasn't gonna hit him.

R-Right?

"C'mere." Sonic opened his arms, and she dropped her hammer to fly into them. Grinning mischievously, he whirled around and dipped her, she squealing before he leaned down and kissed her.

"That was for earlier," he teased. She beamed up at him and he lifted her back up.

"Oh, so was my kiss not good enough for you?" She put her hands on her hips, shooting him a sassy look.

"Eh. Coulda been better." Sonic shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant.

Amy bit her lip, now closing the distance between them; she walked her fingers up his chest in a playful manner to get up to his lips, touching them with her own. Sonic remained still, closing his eyes and yielding his lips up against hers.

"How about now?" Amy whispered, smiling.

He grinned too, gaze lidded. "Try harder, Pinkachu."

Giggling at the new nickname, she cupped his face and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him again; a little harder, a little longer, a little more passionate than the first. The blue speedster's heart raced, but he still remained rigid. He wasn't going to let her win so easily; even if she had already won a long time ago. "Now?"

"Nope," he teased cheekily, his nose rubbing hers as he shook his head.

"No?"

"You suck at kissing."

"Oh yeah?" she jested.

"Yeah," he mocked.

She put her hands on her hips and huffed. "What are you, a kissing expert?"

"That's riiight."

Amy smirked. "Well then, Mr. Kissing Expert, mind showing me how it's done?"

Sonic grinned cockily, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her close. "_My pleasure._"

* * *

Amy woke up with a yawn, stretching her arms to the ceiling. She was back home, safe and sound, but she felt like she didn't get any sleep at all. She checked the time, _8 o'clock_, and groaned quietly. Oh well. It was time for her to get up and -

_What are Tails and Knuckles doing here?_

Her friends were fast asleep, mouths agape, slumped in their chairs. Honestly, she thought it was adorable for a second but -

"Boys!"

The two came to with a jolt, looking around wildly before their eyes fell on her simultaneously.

"What? What's wrong?" Tails asked, wiping his eyes. Knuckles tried to appear as if he hadn't been sleeping at all, sitting up straight and resting his cheek against his forefingers.

"What are you doing?" Amy demanded tiredly, eyes still half-closed; she was pretty sure her quills were in a messy pile on top of her head. Did she care at the moment? No. Did they care? Definitely not. And that's why she loved them.

"Not sleeping, that's what," Knuckles said awkwardly, arching his stiff back.

Amy's gaze flickered to Tails.

Tails smiled sheepishly. "Well, since ya were attacked the other day, Sonic said that we should look after you. Just in case."

"Sonic?" Amy repeated, squinting as the sun's rays shined through. "Waitwaitwait..-what? Where's Sonic?"

_"Here."_ His muffled voice would have been missed if Amy had breathed in that one second. Amy's sheets shifted before a blue head popped out from underneath the covers, lime green eyes squinting at the sun. "Who turned the light on?"

Amy's face put roses to shame. First Tails and Knuckles, and now Sonic? Sonic was in her bed. _Sonic had slept in her bed_. **_While she was still in it_**. She remembered him taking her home and then...Everything slowly began to fall into place. He dropped her off before going off for a run and promised that he'd come back - and he did. Then they spent the rest of the night watching movies and eating junk food and kissing and cuddling and kissing and joking around and even more kissing and -

"The sun," said Tails.

"Well tell the sun to turn the light back off." Sonic groaned, laying back down and yanking a pillow over his head. Amy whacked him with her pillow to get his attention, which worked miraculously because he took one look at her and squinted ( she giggling and poking his ribs ), and sat back up again. "Okay, okay, I'm up. Ya happy now?"

"Sonic?" Amy blushed again, pulling the covers up her body shyly, as clothed as she was. "What are you doing in here? What's Tails talking about? I don't remember them coming in..."

Sonic's lips shaped into a small 'o', looking from his two best friends to his girlfriend. "Uhh..."

"You didn't tell her, did you?" said Knuckles, narrowing his eyes.

"Tell me what?" It was Amy's turn to squint.

Sonic gulped nervously. "Uh, well, ya see..." He hesitated, propping himself up on his elbows. "Remember when I said I'd go for a run last night?" She nodded, so he went on, "I actually went back to Mystic Ruins to talk to Knuckles and Tails. Call me crazy, but I just don't like the idea of ya being by yourself when we're not around."

"So you're guarding me like I'm some sort of prisoner?"

"N-No?"

"I thought you said-!"

"I know what I said but-"

"But what? Are you suddenly changing your mind now?"

Sonic winced. "Guys, give us a minute?"

The kitsune and the echidna were gone so fast that they nearly rivaled Sonic's speed. Amy threw her blankets aside and shot up ungracefully to her feet. She was sleepy, she was agitated, and boy was she emotional.

Sonic slid out of her bed - her oh so comfy bed that he hopes he can still sleep in after this - and stepped in her line of view.

"Move, Sonic," she grumbled.

"Not until we talk about this."

"I don't wanna talk."

"Okay. Don't talk." He grabbed her by the waist, picked her up, and pecked her on the lips. "You can listen, can't 'cha?"

Amy crossed her arms, her lip jutted out in a stubborn pout. He carried her back over to her bed, sitting down on the edge and placing her in his lap, like she was a small child.

"Ames, I know you can take care of yourself. But can ya blame me for being kinda worried? I mean, you get attacked twice in the same day - Tails thinks that the girl we chased is the same person that attacked you - it all makes sense, doesn't it? Right, don't talk." Amy rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe for the rest of the night. This doesn't hafta be a normal thing, I mean, we can work something out. I'm down for whatever you want. You just - _ugh_ -" He nuzzled her shoulder. "- so complicated - not even making any _sense_ \- you smell pretty."

Amy giggled and gave him a pointed look. Chuckling, Sonic raised his forefingers to her lips and pretended to unzip her mouth, throwing the key away.

"So whaddaya say?" he asked, tugging on the hem of her shirt, shimmying his shoulders.

She couldn't resist him. "...Okay."

"Okay?" He nuzzled her again.

"Okay." She nodded.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?"

Amy stifled a yawn, her head lolling back onto his shoulder blade. "I'm too tired to be mad at you."

Sonic smiled and rubbed her back. "You should get some sleep, Ames. Then you can be mad at me all ya want."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Weeell I don't knoooow, I mean I gotta run - yanno, things to do, places to see -" He pondered playfully, catching her dark look out of the corner of his eye. "But I _guess_ I can spend a few minutes with the Amester."

"The Amester?" Amy squealed as he turned around with her still in his lap, coaxing her to lay back down on the bed. She stifled another yawn, curling into him as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, and closed her eyes. "Sonikku?"

"Hm?"

She shifted, turning around and burying her face in his chest. "Can you make the sun go away?"

He grinned. "Sure thing, Pinkachu."


	19. Nerve

**Hey ya'll! Mun news : recently applied for three colleges and went on two tours these past few weeks. So you can say life has been pretty eventful. Now, onto the next chapter!**

* * *

"I'm pretty sure you'll have no nails left."

"Shut up!"

Rouge's smirk widened, shaking her head as she watched Amy take out all her anger on the poor punching bag. Any harder and Amy will knock it off its hinges. _But then again, maybe that's Pinky's goal_. It amused the bat to watch the hedgehog get frustrated and break a sweat, but she knew better. This wasn't just some simple hissy fit that made Amy want to let off steam.

"Then what exactly are you trying to accomplish, sweetheart? Because you look like roadkill."

Amy grabbed the punching bag as it swung back, green eyes narrowing at the ivory spy watching her. Sweat dewed on her forehead, quills pulled back in a ponytail, and dressed in a simple green sports bra and black shorts. Despite how fierce she looked, she also appeared...well, _drained._There were bags under her eyes, and every trace of her usual bubbliness was replaced by bitterness.

It suited _Shadow_. Not Amy. _Amy_ wasn't supposed to be the brooding one. _Amy_ wasn't the one who always had a rain cloud over her head. _Amy_ wasn't the one who snapped at anyone who argued with her, or even convince her to do something otherwise. Everyone tried to get her back to normal - _everyone_. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were out on another adventure again, leaving no one to monitor Amy when she was alone. Since Sonic left, Amy's been training herself nonstop. And her friends were getting concerned.

Now it was up to Rouge and Cream to do their magic.

Well, Rouge really.

"Fight me."

"Why would I do that?"

"I'm not kidding, Rouge! Fight me!" Amy held her fists up, sinking in a defensive stance.

"I'm not going to ruin this medicure-"

"I don't care about your damn medicure!"

"Tone it down, Chihuahua! Believe me, I am up for beating your ass into next week, but not when your health is going downhill."

Amy blinked. "My _health_?"

Rouge nodded; she had not moved from her spot from where she sat in her laidback perch. Any inexperienced person who didn't know Amy would jump at the chance to fight her as soon as she balled her fists. But Rouge was _the spy_. She knew how to rub people off the wrong way to get what she wanted, but she also knew how to navigate her through the chaos without batting an eyelash – pun intended. Amy was her friend. Some might say best even. Or at least one of them. That little pink fireball could get on her nerves but damn it she loved that girl.

Cream entered the training room, hands clasped together over her heart as she approached, falling back slightly when Amy whipped her head around. She wasn't scared of Amy, but the rabbit didn't like it when she was mad or upset, especially when it kept her from being herself. "We're just worried about you, Amy."

"Join the club." Amy huffed, leaning down to grab another punching bag. "I don't need a pity party. I can take care of myself, but I'm tired of being weak and defenseless. You don't understand."

"Then help us to-" Cream begged.

Rouge cut her off, "Oh, we don't? Pinky, no one knows you better than we do."

"Except Sonic…"

"Cream, honey, I'm trying to make a point."

"I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Right. Now, I'm pretty sure Big Blue's given you his handful of love speeches before he left, but I'm telling you – _you're not weak_ and you're sure as _hell_ not defenseless. I feel you, honey, but if you want to be this image you say you wanna be, it has to be for _you_. Don't feel like you have to prove to anyone _anything_."

Amy was quiet, staring blankly at the punching bag she had just recently put up. It was at that moment when Rouge finally got up, and Cream came closer, the two now standing just behind her.

"Please let us help you, Amy. You're not alone." Cream reached out and grasped Amy's hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You _never were_."

She was still for another long moment or two.

And Cream's hand was squeezed right back.

* * *

Cream had offered to sleep over, but Amy declined (kindly), promising her and Rouge -and herself- that she would eat a healthy dinner and get some well-deserved shuteye. As much as she hated to admit it, Cream and Rouge were right. Amy wasn't herself.

And Sonic's words rang through her head.

_"No one expects ya to be like any of us. We don't want you to be like us. You are one of us. You always have been, okay? That's not gonna change."_

_"You're like...like the toppings of a strawberry sundae. Right? We all have our part - yours is making everything sweeter. You're like the heart of the group. You keep us together, you set us straight, you make sure we're all okay."_

_ "You're more of a hero than you realize, yanno? Yeah, sure, ya get kidnapped and used as bait a lot, but that's only because Egghead is smart. You don't exactly keep your feelings about me to yourself-He knows that I'll never give up on you. Whenever you're in trouble, I always come runnin'."_

Amy smiled softly to herself.

"I leave you alone for three days and I'm already getting complaints? Wow, Ames. You must've hit rock bottom."

Her head snapped up, watching as Sonic himself pushed her window up and open, the crisp night air sending chills down her spine as he swung himself through and landed swiftly in her bedroom. His smile was bright, not a scratch on him, and fresh from the fight. Like always.

And Amy had never been so happy to see him.

She opened her mouth to answer him when her jade eyes widened, gasping as the blue speedster sheepishly drew a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates out from behind his back.

"Ah, well..- the flowers got a little - while I was running -" he explained, blushing faintly in embarrassment, pointing out some of the bent roses.

Amy hopped up and walked over to him, her gaze flickering from the flowers and chocolates to the adorable look Sonic was wearing on his face - which he was now trying to hide behind the roses. She could still see his smile. His handsome, boyish smile.

"I know I said I'd be back two days ago but, well - one day turned into two, and two days turned into three and -" He babbled, now peeking his head out from behind the roses. For the first time in what felt like forever, a genuine, warm smile spread across the pink hedgehog's face, and its presence only got wider by the second; he grinned back at her, holding her gifts out to her, which she took and _beamed._

_"It's perfect." _Her face fell into a state of awe. "Thank you." With her arms full, she couldn't embrace him properly like she wanted to. She wanted nothing more than to give him one of her signature loving glomps, but with her depressed state up until her heart to heart with Rouge and Cream, and Sonic's arrival, she didn't have enough juice. So instead, she leaned up to kiss him, which he returned, and headed back to her bed to sit down. She felt his eyes on her as she sniffed the sweet aroma of the roses and admired the heart-shaped box that concealed chocolate inside. Her stomach rumbled. Her half-eaten salad, abandoned for a good while now, was long forgotten.

She was working on her first bite-sized treat when Sonic sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her and massaging her shoulder. "You wanna tell me what's been goin' on?"

_He knew._

Amy shook her head as she chewed, "'S no' impo'tant an'more." His fingers were very distracting, and worked miracles on her tense muscles; she closed her eyes and exhaled softly through her nose, turning on her side and curling into him. He stroked her arm, opening his mouth as she lifted a piece up for him to taste. He moaned in approval; milk chocolate and caramel.

When Amy spoke again, her voice came barely above a whisper; they lay curled up against each other on her bed, taking turns feeding each other, their legs intertwined. It was quiet, peacefully quiet, and the box was more than half-empty now. "I missed you, Sonikku."

"I missed you too, Pinkachu. It wasn't as fun without ya."

"Then why couldn't you let me come?"

"It was a spontaneous kinda thing, Ames. You don't just plan adventures. What's the fun in that?"

She pouted. "I guess it's just that easy, huh?"

"Pretty much." He looked down at her. "_But_..."

"Huh?"

"I don't have anything _good_ to do tomorrow..." Sonic pretended to ponder, his arms slipping around her. "But I _guess_ if I'm with my favorite girl then my day won't be _terrible._"

Amy giggled like a little school girl, leaning their foreheads together. "You wanna spend the day with_ me?_"

"Yeah..." he held her tighter, "'_cause being with you is an adventure itself._"

* * *

Sonic held Amy's hand as they walked through Station Square together. They were both used to the gawking and cameras by now, but that was _before_ their relationship became less of a one-sided thing and more of something else entirely. He filled her in on what she had missed without breaking stride, for once just taking his time in _being_ with her. Call him corny, but he's pretty sure he's crazy for this girl.

"...and I'm _pretty_ sure that's when Knuckles lost it!" Sonic was saying, and his girlfriend giggled. The sound was so refreshing to hear, and he was glad she was in brighter spirits again. He got her talking about random things, things that matter, and things that probably won't make sense later, and just listened to her voice. How hyped up she got when he mentioned baking, how quiet and withdrawn she became when he mentioned battles and close-calls. And before she could get too upset, he had her giggling again with a lame joke, or a kiss, or a hug, or just something - something _affectionate_. When she was crestfallen, he coaxed her to turn her head, cupping her chin to give her cheek a smooch on the side as they walked; blushing and leaning into him, she does the same to him, except on the mouth, and he would not object.

Sonic never knew he was _that_ kind of guy but man did Amy turn him into one.

_Heeey, I'm gettin' the hang of this whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing_.

"Sweetie?"

"Hm?"

"What's that?" Amy pointed just ahead of them.

"_That,_ my darlin', is..a...a...I-don't-know-what-that-is."

"Let's go check out that I-don't-know-what-that-is."

"Okay." Sonic grinned devilishly, letting go of her hand. "Betcha I can beat you to the I-don't-know-what-that-is ."

"Wait, Sonic! You can't do that, you're cheating! You can't just run off to I-don't-know-what-that-is without knowing what it is first!"

"Then what's the point of _checking out_ the I-don't-know-what-that-is?"

"Soniiiiic!"

It turned out that the _I-don't-know-what-that-is_ was Vanilla's new flower shop. It just opened up from the looks, and smelled of nature and all things sweet and frilly. Sonic felt like a fish out of water. (He had no problem with getting flowers for Amy at the nearest store, but being surrounded by nothing but plants was a different story.)

"Hi, Vanilla!" Amy waved, reaching back to pull a stiff Sonic along. She had forgotten that Vanilla was getting a shop going, and felt bad that she hadn't exactly played a part in the _helping_ process.

Vanilla smiled back at her warmly, and Sonic as well; Vanilla didn't blame the young heroine. She knew she was going through a rough time, and loved Amy as if she was her own.

By the time Sonic reached the counter, he saw two familiar faces emerge with fresh pots of growing plants; one in particular.

_"Tails?"_

"Heh. Hiya!" Tails followed Cream, flashing his best friend a grin as he passed. "Cream and Vanilla needed help setting up so they called me to help, and here I am! I meant to tell ya," he added to Sonic, "but you were already out the door." The kitsune chuckled.

_Ah_.

Sonic decided to pitch in, taking the pots out of Cream's arms and winking at her, to which she giggled and thanked him. "Where ya want 'em, boss?"

"Oh goodness! This is a pleasant surprise, and you are a sweetheart for wanting to help. I appreciate it very much," said Vanilla.

"If ya want, I can call Knuckles up for some extra muscle, Miss V.!" Sonic called over his shoulder.

"We can get everybody to help!" Amy piped up, already pulling her quills up and out of the way.

Vanilla beamed at her daughter, who reciprocated the tender action, eyes appraising the young ambitious people before her as they whipped out their phones to call everyone up; Cream really had some lovely friends.


	20. Flower Crowns

**Hey hey hey :] you guys still with me? GR9.**

**This chapter's a bit short, but I wanted to get something out there c: Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

The girls giggled as a grumpy Shadow huffed, bending down to make it easier for Cream as the rabbit leaned up on her tiptoes to put a flower crown on his head.

"Your crown's a little -" Sally started, but one glare from Shadow had her snickering and holding her tongue; not intimidated by him in the least, she walked up to him to straighten his flower crown, much to the dark hedgehog's chagrin.

"This is my way of saying thank you to everybody who helped out my mother today!" Cream announced to the group, beaming at every one of her friends; all of them wore flower crowns on their head, all created by her, and specially designed for each friend; some wore them _more proudly_ than others.

"You're _kinda_ forgetting a person, Cream," said Tails, grinning as he walked up to her with his arms behind his back. Cream gave him a confused look, only to gasp as he brought out a flower crown he made himself from behind his back, placing it neatly onto her head. Her hands fluttered up to where his were, both working to set the crown in place and smiling big, muzzles pink.

Sonic chuckled from his place on the floor, Amy's legs draped comfortably over his shoulders; she sat on the couch, her arms loosely slung around his neck and his hands absentmindedly ran over the length of her thighs since he couldn't stay _completely_ still. He caught his best friend's eye and winked at him, which made the kitsune blush further.

"Thank you, Miles." Cream beamed up at him; she grasped Tails by the shoulders and leaned up, kissing him sweetly on the nose.

Correction - Tails' blush _officially_ put roses to shame.

"Thank you, _everyone_!" Cream gushed, oblivious to the bewildered look on Tails' face. "You all are the best of friends a rabbit could ever have!"

"But I'm the favorite, right?" said Sonic.

"_No_," Amy tilted herself around to meet his gaze. "_I'm_ the favorite."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I'm the favorite," Knuckles cut in.

"Guys..." Tails interjected, looking from one friend to the next as they squinted at each other.

"Is favoritism really necessary?" Cream piped up.

"No, it's not," Tails answered for her.

"Yes it is! This is a very important question!" Amy interjected dramatically, nearly choking Sonic with her legs in the process.

"Who's your favorite, Cream? Me, Sonic, me, Amy, or _me_?" Knuckles demanded.

"I think we all know who her favorite clearly is," Amy boasted, flipping her quills over her shoulder. "Right, Sonic?"

"-can't - _breathe_ -_!_"

Embarrassed, she loosened her apparent grip around his neck and leaned over to hug him instead.

"Well?" Knuckles said impatiently.

"U-Uh -" Cream hesitated before she latched onto the boy next to her. "Tails! I pick Tails! He's...he's my favorite!"

Amy gasped, her mouth dropping as she made a hurt face; Sonic was still trying to catch his breath, feebly giving Amy a few comforting pats on her thigh; and Knuckles wheezed wordlessly.

The kitsune himself awkwardly slipped an arm around the cute rabbit holding onto him, squeezing her shoulder. "W-Well I guess that settles that, guys. Heh?" He blushed again.

"Yeah, yeah, sure!" Sonic got up from the floor, patting Tails on the back as he passed him. "Amy's officially now my favorite. So we're even."

"Sonikku's always been my favorite anyway." Amy got up in a girly huff, following her boyfriend into the kitchen.

Knuckles snorted.

"Oh Knuckieee!"

"..._Shit._"

* * *

Without warning whatsoever, Sonic pushed her windowsill up and leaped inside her bedroom. But really, since he was _kinda_ the love of her life shouldn't that title give him freedom of breaking and entering? _Heh. Breaking and entering_. The blue speedster had been out on his normal nocturnal run when he suddenly got an idea and decided to run back to his girlfriend to tell - well, _ask_ \- her about said idea. Even if it was...Sonic spotted the time on her wall. _3 o'clock in the morning_. _Whoops._

Silently hoping that he wasn't about to step in the lion's den, Sonic closed the window shut as quietly as he could, then tiptoed over to Amy's bedside. _Aw. Lookin' so cute when she's sleeping_. He noticed that she hadn't even bothered to pull her covers up all the way - _either that, or she's a very very messy sleeper_ \- clad in a long-sleeved t-shirt that was obviously too big for her, and her quills were already slipping out of her messy bun. She lay in a fetal position, and looked the most vulnerable that he's ever seen her.

"Amy," he whispered, shaking her gently. "Ames, wake up!"

The pink hedgehog came to with a short gasp, eyes wild as her body shot straight up; her heart began to race at the alien touch.

"Hey, hey," he grasped her arms, coaxing her to focus on him; and she did. "It's just me."

"Sonic?" Amy squinted as her eyes adjusted, relaxing under his touch now. "What are you doing here? It's..." her eyes bugged out at her alarm clock, "3 o'clock in the morning? What are you doing here at 3 in the morning?"

"You know, I did not think that through..." Sonic mused and Amy stifled a yawn, her jade orbs narrowing at him in the dim darkness. "I'm just messin' with ya. Look, I came here to ask you something."

"Was it so important that you had to wake me up?"

"Yep."

Amy narrowed her eyes at him but sighed and nodded, her posture slouching some. "Okay. What is it?"

Sonic got up and began to pace; she watched him with a blank, tired look. "How long have we been together?"

"I don't know, almost...three months now?" Amy yawned; she knew the correct calculations actually, but she refrained from saying it out loud.

"Today would mark the third." Since it was past midnight _and at 3 o'clock in the freakin' morning_.

_Aw, he remembered_. "Mhm...?"

_Of course I remembered_. "And how many dates have we been on?"

"How should I know? You think every adventure we've ever had counts as dates." Amy rested her chin in her palm, glowering at the floor now.

Sonic stopped pacing, now approaching the foot of her bed. "Tell you what," he climbed into her bed, she sitting up straighter with peaked interest as he came closer to her, taking her hands in both of his, "I'll make up for that by taking you out. Officially. You up for it?"

"Take me out?" Her face began to brighten, much to his satisfaction.

"Yeah. We dress up real fancy and go someplace fancy and eat fancy, you say fancy things, and I'll pretend to know what you're talking about and tell you how pretty you are." He grinned back at her. "How's that sound?"

Amy beamed, leaning in to kiss him. "_Perfect_."

* * *

"What should I wear, Sal?" Amy held up the two dresses.

"Are you going to a tea party or a funeral?" Sally made a face from her perch on the bed.

The hedgehog groaned, "Sally! You're supposed to be helping me here!" She whined as she threw the dresses carelessly in her closet.

"I _am_ helping!" Sally insisted. "That first dress looks like something that Cream would pick out for you - if she were _six_ \- and you should definitely save that last one for Eggman's funeral."

"Ha _ha_." Amy plopped herself down next to the chipmunk, burying her face in her hands and laying back down on the bed. "I thought you'd be able to help me pick something to wear! Cream and I have different tastes in dressy things, Blaze is jumping universes with Silver, and Rouge will trick me into wearing something...something-!"

"Slutty?"

"Yeah." Amy pouted.

Sally got to her feet, "Alright, come on." She held her hands out.

Amy uncovered her face, "What?" but took Sally's hands anyway and let Sally pull her to her feet.

"You and I are going shopping," Sally said matter-of-factly.

"Really?"

"Yes." Sally gave Amy a once-over, her decision final as she smiled. "You look good in red."


	21. Preparations

**Guess who's back with another chapter! ****And it's longer, wouldja look at that?**

**Aw man. The new Sonic Boom trailer had me freaking! Have you guys seen it? If not, open up a new tab and take yourself to YouTube, my friend. I can't wait for the show and video game to come out!**

* * *

"Put this on." Sally threw a black bag in Shadow's lap.

"And what the hell is 'this'?" Shadow stared blankly at the chipmunk, pulling the blazer out halfway.

"A suit. We're going out tonight."

Record scratch. "Did I hear you correctly," he slowly stood to his feet, glowering down at her, "or did you just say we're-"

"Going out? Yeah. I said it." Sally crossed her arms, staring him down.

Shadow blinked. "This isn't because Faker and Rose are going out and you want to _spy_ on them, is it?"

"No, it's because I like you. _Yes_, I want to spy on them!" Sally snapped briefly, and an eyebrow went up on Shadow's end at her first comment.

"Oh. So you're not..._jealous_ or anything?"

"Why would I be jealous? I'm asking _you_ out aren't I?"

The dark hedgehog smirked. "So you _do_ like me."

She huffed impatiently. "Two of my best friends could be in trouble tonight, and all you think about is the status of my feelings for you?"

"You have feelings for me?"

Sally glared at him, cheeks hot, her fists balled up at her sides. "Are you in or not?"

"Well, since I obviously have no choice-" her glare darkened and his smirk widened, "Let me get this straight. You want us to go follow them around on their date in your assumption of _possible_ suspicious activity?"

_"Yes."_

"And out of _all_ people you could have asked, you chose _me_."

"Well you're a spy, aren't you?"

"I'm an agent of G.U.N. Rouge is the spy. There's a difference."

"But you're still good at hiding under the radar."

She had him there.

Shadow sighed. It looked like he had no other choice. "Fine."

"Good."

"_Good._" Sally rolled her eyes and turned to make her leave when he spoke up again, "Oh, and one more thing."

"What?"

He held up the suit. "...How did you know my size?"

She snorted, hiding her smile as she walked out of his office. "You and Sonic _are_ identical."

* * *

"You did _not._" Rouge grinned slyly.

Sally stared. "Did what?"

"You finally got the guts. I'm proud of you, honey."

"It's not a date!" Sally protested for the umpteenth time. "It's-"

"Undercover, blah blah blah, I know. But you _do_ realize who you're spying on, right?" Rouge lounged back on her chair, kicking her legs up. "We're talking about the golden couple here. Pinky and Big Blue can take care of themselves and each other without question. Something tells me you just want an excuse to see Shadow all dressed up. Believe me, it's drop-dead sexy."

"I know Sonic and Amy and what they're capable of, but I just can't shake the thought that something bad is gonna hap-" Sally's eyes widened before they narrowed wildly. "What? I do _not_ \- how do you know what he looks like in a suit?"

"He's my partner, sweetheart. We've had to dress up on several different occasions." Rouge began filing her nails.

"Yeah. Pretty sure you're '_partners_' alright."

"Is somebody getting a little _jealous_?"

"_I am not jealous!_" Sally snapped. "I just -" she sobered down, smoothing down her curls, "- I'm just... _curious_, that's all."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are." The chipmunk's blue eyes darkened for the second time that day. "Oh, you're into him alright. You got it _bad_."

She shifted awkwardly in her seat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well if you don't know now, you'll find out later tonight." Rouge enjoyed watching Sally fume in silence. That's another check on the list of things Sally and Shadow had in common - they both could control their tempers. For a certain amount of time anyway. "Shadow and I go way back, but we never went past second base, if you catch my drift."

Sally looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Maybe Rouge was having a little _too_ much fun with this.

"I'm teasing you, hon. Just go out and have a good time."

Sally sighed. "Okay."

"And besides..." Rouge's glossed lips pulled up in the corners. "I have a certain _knuckle_head to check up on anyway."

The chipmunk giggled. "Have fun."

"Oh believe me," the ivory bat winked, _"I will."_

* * *

_"Oh, Knuckiee!"_

"_One_ day," Knuckles' shut eyes tightened. "_One_ day is all I ask," he spoke to no one in particular as he opened his eyes, staring up at the sky. "Why you hate me?"

Rouge blocked out the sun, leaning over him with her hands on her hips. "Hey there, handsome."

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw you off my island?" Knuckles said coolly.

"Because I can fly, _genius," _Rouge retorted.

"Hey!" Knuckles sat upright, jumping to his feet defensively. "The last time you fell I had the _decency_ to catch you - even though you can clearly _'fly'_ \- and all you can do is say that I was being '_fresh'?!_ Some thank you!"

"Well you _did_ hold my hand longer than necessary. You could of had the _decency_ to let go-"

"Are you kidding me?!" Knuckles barked. "If it weren't for me, you'd be dead! _Gone!_ Maggot food!" he ranted, and Rouge could only smirk in amusement. "- _what are you smiling about_?!"

"Oh nothing..."

Knuckles growled.

"You seem tense, sweetheart. I haven't seen you in a while..."

"Rat, it's been two days."

Rouge made a face at the nickname. "Ha _ha_."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, can we just skip to the part where you try to steal my emerald and we fight until you finally leave?"

"Depends...can we kiss and make up afterwards?"

Knuckles went beet red. "You're batty!"

"I didn't hear a _'no'_," Rouge sang.

Knuckles counted back from ten, sitting down on one of the last steps as he attempted to control his temper. He was too busy focusing on himself that he didn't notice Rouge circle around him and sit down behind the echidna.

"Any new leads with Big Blue and Fox Boy?"

"No," Knuckles grumbled, squeezing his temple.

"The Doctor must be really good at hide and seek, hm?" Her hands smoothed up his strong backside and curved around his tensed shoulder blades, rubbing her thumbs in small, firm circles.

"Why do you care? You used to work for him."

"You don't trust me?"

Knuckles snorted, now vaguely aware that Rouge was touching him. _Massaging_ no less. "_Hell_ no."

The bat's eyes twinkled.

"Anyway," Knuckles sighed, fists balling up on his knees, "we've never had _too_ much trouble in finding Eggman. He's not that hard to miss." Rouge made a sound of agreement behind him just as she hit _that spot_ \- "Something's different this time. And I don't know what that is, but I just got a bad feeling in my gut and..." He lifted his right shoulder subconsciously and she automatically moved to that area, he letting his eyes close shut and fighting the urge to shudder.

"No wonder you're extra grumpy today," Rouge murmured, kneading the muscle there. "You've got knots _everywhere_."

"I sleep just fine, thank you," Knuckles muttered under his breath, grunting every now and then. "Tikal sleeps in my bed and I sleep on the couch."

"When was the last time you slept out here?"

"...Yesterday."

"Hm."

"Oh shut up."

She's hiding her smile now. "Where is Peaches anyway?"

"With the Chaotix. Like she always is." Knuckles huffed.

"A bit protective, are we?"

"No shit! She's my little sister! And...and I don't like the idea of her and _Espio_ being all hugged up in Vector's office, alright?" the echidna grumbled, cringing at the mental picture.

"Last time I checked, _Espio_ isn't the only one on the Chaotix."

"Nope, but I know who's her _favorite," _he spat.

"Wow, you're not good with grudges, are you? As gullible as you are..."

"What was that, Rouge?"

"Did I stutter? You're gullible, don't deny it." He sighed heavily. "Oh and by the way," she leaned down to whisper in his ear hotly, "_you're my favorite_."

Knuckles wheezed, feeling a chill run down his spine. Damn, the things she did to him...He hated it. "Why am I not surprised?" he said back through gritted teeth.

"I don't know." Her gloveless hands traveled down his rocky arms and back up again. "You tell _me_."

_Why me, Chaos? Why?_ "Maybe I don't...What if I don't _want_ to?" His voice betrayed his emotions; the way he felt. He knew that they both knew she had him right where she wanted him. And he let it happen _again_.

"Too bad..."

_She's leaning. She's leaning. Shit, shit, shit. Why can't I move? Shit, shit shit. I'm gonna die. And then I'm going to hell. And then she'll be there waiting for me so I can't win. _

His eyes began to close. _Why do I want to -?_

"Ahem."

The two immediately separated, Knuckles coughing violently as he shot to his feet. And much to his chagrin, it was the blue devil himself. The dashing hedgehog was already decked out in his suit, holding his blazer just over his shoulder, the setting sun hitting him just right at that moment.

"I hate to ruin ya moment there, Knux," said Sonic, snickering at the look on his friend's face, "but I was wonderin' if I could ask ya something."

* * *

Amy twisted herself to and fro in front of her mirror, checking herself out from head to toe, and made sure that everything was perfect. Her quills were pulled up in a bun, with a braid weaving its way through. Her sleeveless dress as red as roses, the skirt loose with frills and layers stopping just above her knees, and a sweetheart cut across the bosom. Simple, silver jewelry adorned her wrists, ears, and neck, and she sprayed on a healthy dose of perfume just in case. Her nails were painted a soft white, and she had the healthy amount of makeup to top it all off.

"Now which shoes should I...?" she mused out loud.

Her cell phone buzzed and she leaned over to pick it up, unlocking the screen to discover a text from Sally: **the white stilettos w/ the bows ;)**

And Amy knew she had her answer.

She didn't have to wait long for Sonic, because he was at her door at 7 on the _dot_. The two had developed a little knocking thing between them so they can always know when the other was there ( and plus, it was just fun and such a _couple-y_ thing for them to do, and Amy loved it ). Recognizing his skillful knock immediately, she walked up to the door and knocked back her rhythm in return before letting it swing open.

Sonic heard her giggles before she even open the door, which immediately brought a smile to his face -

\- &amp; immediately went lopsided when he got a good look at her. This was so worth the wait. He hadn't seen her all day - and for good reason - and the beauty radiating from the pink hedgehog was so strong that the poor hedgehog might faint. He took his time, his eyes roaming over her small frame, from her toes up, and saved her eyes for last. She was _so beautiful_.

_Goodbye, world._

Amy was doing the same to him. This was the first time she's _ever_ seen the blue speedster in a tux, and this was so much better than how she dreamed it would be. And she knew this night was only gonna get better. He was so breathtaking, so devilishly handsome, that she knew she was gonna be a little possessive tonight. She still couldn't believe that Sonic the Hedgehog was actually _hers_.

_Pinch me. I must be dreaming!_

"Hi," she broke the silence, blushing under his heated gaze.

"Hi." He flashed her a dazed grin. "You look..._wow_. Can I - yanno? 'Cause I'm afraid I'll mess somethin' up and you're just..._wow_. I brought you roses, by the way. Ya know you're making it very hard for me _not_ to kiss your face?"

Amy giggled, accepting the bouquet of roses and holding them to her chest to inhale the sweet scent. She freed an arm to pull him inside, and set the roses down gently on the coffee table. "Ya know, I'm starting to wonder if Miss Vanilla is the one giving you all these discounts. If you buy me any more, I might as well open my own flower shop!"

"Then Miss V is gonna have some _very_ gorgeous competition." Sonic grinned and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

"She already has a handsome customer," Amy flirted back, her hands skirting up his chest.

"Well, when you're as _good-lookin'_ as me-" he pretended to wince as Amy pinched his shoulder. "What?"

"You know a simple '_thank you_' woulda been the icing on the cake."

"Nah. The icing on the cake is standing right here in front of me."

Amy smiled and blushed again, going a deeper shade when he kissed her. His arms tightened from their place around her waist, and she draped her arms around his neck, enjoying the sweet kiss as it lasted. She didn't know how much time had passed, and neither did he, but by the time they broke apart she had a feeling she was gonna have to reapply her lipstick.

"Mm, _mm, mm_," Sonic shook his head, their noses rubbing together from their close proximity.

"What?" She grinned, feeling his fingers trace small circles on her back absentmindedly.

"Even with heels on, you _still_ have to lean up to kiss me," said an amused Sonic.

"Well, do you have any_ better_ ideas?" Amy huffed.

"Depends." Sonic grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up to his eye level, grinning cheekily. "How much do ya like being picked up?"

* * *

"Shadow, open up!" Sally knocked continuously knocked on his door.

She nearly fell inside when it suddenly swung open.

And her _date_ had been there to catch her.

"_What?_" Shadow pushed her back at arms length before releasing her.

"You were taking too long." Sally brushed herself off. His eyes followed.

Her dress was simple - and _small_ \- with thin straps and a sweetheart bust - and_ fitting_ \- and she wore strappy wedges to match - and her hair was actually _straight_ \- and her black eye shadow matched her dress and shoes - and _he's staring too long_.

"_I_ was taking too long? We weren't supposed to meet for another twenty minutes," Shadow deadpanned, bringing his blank stare back to her blue eyes.

_Rouge was right_. Sally gulped inaudibly._ Oh no, he's hot!_ "Right, well," Sally cleared her throat, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "we gotta be on time and so it's best if we leave early and-"

"Are you forgetting who you're talking to?" Shadow drew a chaos emerald from his pocket, holding it up for her to see. "We could be there right now if you weren't such a chatterbox."

Sally glared at him, and his lips twitched.

"I'd be a little nicer, Shadow. I_ am_ your date after all." She put a sassy hand on her hip.

Shadow folded his arms across his chest, not intimidated by her in the least. "I believe you've got this mixed up. I'm not the one who asked - _forced_ \- you to go along with this. This plan is stupid and will probably end in disaster."

"If my plan is so stupid, then why did you dress up anyway?"

Shadow leaned down. "I had nothing _better_ to do."

Sally squinted at him, following him outside and hugging herself as the brisk air kissed her fur. Without looking back at her, Shadow pulled off his blazer and handed it back to her. He felt her curious eyes burning into the back of his head, but the shuffling around going on behind him told him that she was putting it on, and he was already giving her a helmet. He turned and appraised the sight of Sally Acorn in his jacket and in the process of putting on his helmet. It took him a second to realize he was staring again, and he shook himself from his thoughts before he could dip into dangerous waters. Coming up to her, he swatted her hands away ( to which she shot himself a look that nearly rivaled his own ), and readjusted the helmet to where it fit firmly on her head.

"You know they're gonna know we're there if they see your motorcycle," she said as he swung a leg over and started his motorcycle up, following suit soon after.

"_That_ is why we're getting VIP parking," Shadow spoke over the purring engine, not having to remind Sally to hold onto him.

"What does that mean?"

Shadow smirked, not saying a word, and soon they were racing down the highway.

* * *

Cream sighed, plopping herself down and laying flat in the middle of the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm bored."

Tails mirrored her, arms behind his head. "Me too."

"What do you wanna do?"

"I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

"I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

"I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

"I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

"I dunno...What's everyone else doin'?"

Cream held up her hand and began to tick off her fingers, "Silver and Blaze are in their world I think?"

"_Right_..."

She went on, "Sally said she and Shadow had plans..."

"Her and Shadow? Really?"

Cream shrugged her shoulders. "Where was I...? Oh, right! Blaze and Silver back home, Shadow and Sally and their...thingy, Rouge is on Angel Island-"

"Knuckles?"

"Knuckles. And of course, Sonic and Amy are on their first official date!" Cream beamed, clasping her hands over her heart.

Tails was quiet.

"...Hey, Cream?"

"Yes?"

"Have you noticed that everyone's paired off tonight except us?"

Cream hummed, cinnamon eyes narrowing slightly. "That_ is_ weird! Why do you think that is?" She rolled over on her side, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him; Tails made the blind move of turning his head around to look at her, and that only brought their faces _closer_, noses practically touching each other.

It took a while before the kitsune could find his voice.

"No clue!" Tails squeaked.

* * *

**The Sonamy date is next! **

**Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter :D I can't believe this story has already reached 200+ reviews! I'm so happy! I can never thank you guys enough. If it weren't for your love and support, this story probably wouldn't have gotten passed 10 chapters. *heart eyes***

**Also, look out for oneshots from me! :D I've got a lot of ideas that I would love to share, but adding them here would either clutter the story or be completely unrelated to it.**

**See you guys in chapter 22! :)**


	22. The Date

**Yo! **

**I think you and I know what you've been waiting for all along (well...besides the kiss, but yaNNO). And here it is :]**

* * *

"Okay, there they are!" Sally whispered, pointing ahead as she peeped her head out from behind the bush. Sonic and Amy were just now arriving at the restaurant, a strong gust of wind announcing their arrival. The two were very giggly and lovey dovey just like any ordinary couple would be, the blue speedster holding the door out for his girlfriend and she thanking him in a flirtatious manner.

"I can see them. I'm not stupid." Shadow sighed, resting his arm over his erected knee. He shook his head as he watched the couple, muttering, _"Pathetic,"_ under his breath. Funny how the faker was willing to drop his 'take wherever the wind takes him', fastlife attitude for some _rose petals_. He didn't understand what was so appealing about romantic relationships. Love was for the weak. Love was the number one weakness that always destroyed. Love was what tied the people he called fri-...alli-...acquaint- -_ the people he associated himself with_ down. Rose was a distraction, Rouge was self-explanatory, and -

Sally sighed, completely oblivious. "They're so cute together."

Shadow snorted. "Don't make me laugh."

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen Sonic this happy in a really long time." Sally's wistful blue eyes watched as the cobalt hero tripped over his shoes (trying to be smooth), and Amy laughed at him; being the positive spirit that he always was, he laughed too and reached for her outstretched hand, leading her to their reserved seats. "I always knew he'd come to his senses about his feelings for her eventually. All he needed was time..."

Shadow grunted.

"The problem with you boys is you never know what's good for you, even when that person has been right in front of you the whole time." Sally shook her head thoughtfully.

This was when Shadow looked over at her, startled by her claim. "Oh, so it's a _male_ problem?"

"Ye_p_," her lips popped on the 'p'.

Shadow was going to defend his gender, as dead set against these kind of topics he was. "Well for the record, _princess_, the problem with you girls is you expect us to know everything."

"_What?_ No we-"

"Yes you do. We're expected to know what you're thinking, what you want and what you don't want - even though there clearly isn't any difference between the two, how you're feeling, et cetera, et cetera."

"Oh yeah? And how would you know, Mr. Antisocial?"

"One, I'm very observant. And two, I'm not antisocial - I just don't talk to stupid people." His lips twitched. "So consider yourself _lucky_."

Sally made a face. "Ha _ha_."

* * *

Sonic carried Amy bridal style as he ran, loving the feel of the wind blowing his quills back, as well as hers. His legs weren't the only things racing. His heart was beating as fast as his speed. Not only was he excited, but he was also _nervous_. This was his first_ date_ date with Amy.

_Hoooo boy._

Arriving in no less than a minute, he set the pretty hedgehog down, watching her face light up as she saw where they would be dining tonight. It was one of the most fanciest restaurants in the city, where the good lookin' and wealthy people dine. Sonic's never been there before. But he'd heard about it on the occasional run around the Square, and found out all good things about the place. Perfect for those special dates.

And he thought, _why the hell not?_

"After you, m'lady," Sonic snickered, holding the door out for her.

Amy giggled, laying a playful hand over her heart as she entered first, "Why thank you, kind sir!"

"Anythin' for a fine honey such as yourse-_whoa_!" Sonic tripped over his footing but caught himself before he could embarrass himself further. He looked up, expecting his girlfriend to tease him of some sort, but as soon as their eyes met she started giggling. Her laughter brought a goofy grin to his face, taking her outstretched hand when she held out the slender limb, and after a quick salute to the lady at the front desk he led his girlfriend over to their reserved table.

"You don't have to do that, yanno," Amy jested, sitting down as Sonic pulled her seat out for her.

"Do what?"

"Be romantic." Amy rested her cheek in her palm, bemused jade eyes watching the handsome blue speedster sit down across from her.

"Whaddaya mean?" Sonic grinned at her. "I got all dressed up, took you to a fancy shin-dig," he reached across the table to put his hand on top of hers; she curled her fingers up, lacing them together, "and you're _just now_ telling me to _not_ be romantic?"

"I mean _be yourself," _she insisted, smiling back at him softly. "We're here to have a good time, so let's have a good time."

Some of his nerves died down at her words. Why didn't he realize how great she was sooner?_ I mean, I've always found her great - amazing, even! Heck, look at her! - but...but I was never good with this stuff. I'm surprised I was able to make it this far_. "Does this count as romantic?" He cocked his head to the side innocently, running his thumb across each knuckle.

"I _guess_," she played along.

"So you _do_ want me to be romantic," he teased.

"For you," she settled for, pretending to be nonchalant, hiding her smile.

"So...spontaneous?"

"Are you the fastest thing alive?"

_"...I like you."_

"I hope so. Otherwise this would be kinda awkward!"

"You and me? _Awkward_?" Sonic scoffed, flashing her a lopsided grin. "In what _world_?"

"The same world where me and Sally fight all the time over you." Amy rolled her eyes.

"Pfft. Like _that_ would ever happen."

"I know, right?"

* * *

"Ahem."

Both Sally and Shadow looked up to see one of the waitresses peering down at them. She was a pretty blonde hedgehog with deep blue eyes and wore a uniform, her quills pulled up in a neat ponytail, her bangs framing her face delicately.

And Shadow stared.

"I'm sorry to...interrupt whatever it is you're doing," she said, "but I'm afraid I must ask you to either leave or sign in."

Her tone was gentle and friendly, something that pulled at the dark hedgehog's heartstrings and memories. It wasn't like he _wasn't_ used to seeing friendly girls with blonde hair and blue eyes, but there was something about _this_ one that had his heart racing and his eyes glued to her form. Maybe he was overreacting, maybe he was having another "Shadow moment" ( which you'll have to ask the Faker about later ), but when he had a hunch he normally wasn't wrong.

He felt Sally's eyes on his face, but he didn't look at her. He couldn't risk breaking his calm exterior.

"..._Sorry_," Sally finally broke the silence, putting her hand under Shadow's armpit to pull him up with her. "My..._date_ and I were just-"

"_Leaving_," Shadow interjected, already turning on his heel.

"_No_," Sally caught him by the forearm, shooting him a dark look before turning her attention back to the waitress. "We'll be inside in just a sec! Give us a minute?"

"Of course," said the other hedgehog, and Sally missed the side-glance she gave Shadow before going back inside the restaurant.

Sally whirled on Shadow as soon as the mysterious waitress was out of earshot, turning her head this way and that in an attempt to meet his gaze. This was difficult. "What is _wrong_ with you?"

"I-"

"No, no, no! You know what? You're right. This was a _terrible_ idea. We shouldn't have come."

Shadow caught her arm before she could storm pass him.

"Which brings us back to '_expecting me to know everything_', doesn't it?" he pointed out sarcastically, and she growled before ripping her arm out of his grip. "Look. You don't understand -"

"-Understand _what_? You never tell me _anything_!" Sally threw her hands up in the air in frustration, and Shadow remained immobile, his red eyes watching her closely. "How are we supposed to work together if you don't talk to me? I know you're Mister Tall, Dark, and Brooding but let me tell you something - _I will not sit here_ and let you _talk_ to me like - like - like I'm some kind of -!"

"Some kind of_ what_?"

"I don't know! _You_ tell _me! _Gosh, I don't know _how_ Rouge is able to put up with you all the time! You're so damn difficult and infuriating and sometimes I just wanna - !"

Shadow's eyes narrowed, his jaw taut as he stared her down. "You just wanna _what_?"

Sally breathed heavily, her chest heaving. What caught his attention was the tautness of her jaw, the way her lips curled when she was frustrated. And now...he couldn't stop staring at her _lips_. She was doing the same thing. Her gaze flickered from his eyes to his mouth and back up again. He could _see_ her doing it. She wasn't exactly being_ subtle_.

So it didn't surprise him that she suddenly acted on a whim and invaded his personal space; his face was in her hands, but his hands were already wrapping themselves around each side of her neck by the time their lips fused together. He was first hesitant, but the constant yield of her lips against his had him groaning in defeat and pulling her closer. Throughout the time span of knowing her, he knew there was _something_ between them - but he never touched upon it. Always stowed it in the back of his mind. He told himself to never get too attached to anyone, especially after_ Maria_.

But here he was. Friends with the Faker and his little gang of loyal followers and kissing the only girl to ever make him want to wring her neck _and_ protect her from everything _at the same time_. Yes, he liked bickering with her. _Yes,_ her random hugs were...nice. _Yes_, the way her hand felt in his that night felt so right.

_No_, he didn't hate her.

What made you think he ever _did_?

His lips parted from hers, their foreheads brushing before he slowly pulled away completely. Her azure eyes were the last to open, gazing deeply into his; she was confused and flushed, and he subconsciously stroked her neck.

"We should get inside," he broke the silence, releasing all of her - _but her hand_. Sally could only nod meekly, following behind the Ultimate Life Form as he tugged her along, leading the way inside.

"Table for two?" asked the blonde hedgehog as they walked up to the front desk. Shadow didn't look at her directly in the eyes, his grip on Sally's hand tightening.

"Please," Sally squeaked.

* * *

"Remember the day we first met?"

Sonic laughed lightly. "How could I_ forget_?"

The hedgehog couple had their drinks and were now waiting for their food to arrive. Since then, they have been caught up in good memories and fun times, keeping topics light and touching. Amy did most of the talking of course, and Sonic didn't mind at all. In fact, he now had a habit of looking at her when she talked. Like _really_ look at her. Her eyes and how they came alive whenever they approached a new subject, her lips forming in tiny 'o's every now and then, and he noticed that she was very expressive and tended to talk with her hands a lot. When she talked about _him_, the green in her eyes would light up, and her smile would be so radiant that the very presence could put the sun to shame.

He was honestly surprised that he had yet to become a blushing, stammering_ mess_.

Amy sighed blissfully. "Yeah...Can you believe it? If you never had saved me, then we would have never met?"

"Yeah...Funny how fate works, eh?"

"You believe in fate too?"

"Well, its got me this far." Sonic winked at her, and she giggled behind her hand.

Amy then chewed on her bottom lip, as if pondering on something important, before she spoke again. "Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"When...when did you realize you had feelings for me?"

Record scratch.

_Oh man. _

_Oh man oh man oh man oh man_.

_Shit, uh...um, um, um._

_When _did_ I start liking Amy?_

"F-Feelings?" he choked out.

Her face slowly began to fall. "Yeah, _feelings_ but...I mean, if it makes you uncomfortable then...-"

"No, no, no! We can talk about 'em! I mean...I'm not really...good with this kinda stuff but...but for you, I guess I'll try?" he offered, giving her a sheepish grin while he rubbed the back of his quills.

"What about when you told me how important I was to you? To our friends?" Amy's fists balled up loosely, her eyes shining with emotion. Sonic swallowed nervously. He didn't want this to happen. "That sounded pretty good to me!"

"Amy...-"

"You told me how much I mattered and all the amazing things I've done, but did you really mean that? Or did you tell me what I wanted to hear?"

"_Amy_-"

"Did...did you just tell me that so you won't hurt my feelings?"

_"No_, I-"

"I've should've known...Look at me! I'm a mess. I can't even function right without you..." Amy buried her face in her hands. "I really _am_ dead weight. Maybe the rumors were true. Maybe I'm just - maybe I'll - ugh - I don't even -"

Sonic shook his head and reached for her. "_Ames_..." By the time his hands found hers, gently coaxing them down from her face, he was shocked to see tears.

"I-I need to powder my nose," she muttered under her breath, her voice breaking as she got up from the table, walking away quickly.

Sonic gazed after her worriedly, not noticing the two pairs of eyes on him from across the restaurant.

* * *

Amy's bottom lip trembled, panting as she entered the women's restroom. She was quick to reach the sink, turning on the cold water and bending over, splashing her face a few times. She didn't care if her makeup would smear. She could fix it later.

_I really need to get a grip!_ she scolded herself, lifting her face to look at herself in the mirror. _What happened to the girl who never gave a you-know-what about what was said about her? Why am I suddenly self-conscious over every silly rumor? Sonic loves me!_

_...Doesn't he?_

_Yes._

_No._

_Maybe?_

_Grr!_ Amy shook her head rapidly. _Focus, Amy, focus! Sonic cares about you very much. He's your boyfriend! Don't blame him for not sweeping you off your feet right away! Even though he's already done that in a manner of ways literally and figuratively...but still! He's right! You have friends who love you and a loving boyfriend who's still shy about his deeper feelings! You are no damsel! You are a B.A.M.F., and you know how to handle your business and file your nails at the same time!_

The pink hedgehog squared her shoulders. _Now march back in there, hero! And keep your head held high!_

With that motivating thought in mind, she turned to exit the bathroom only to bump into someone else.

"Sorry!" she said, rubbing her head as her gaze settled on the other girl. "Did I hurt..." And that's when realization hit her. Realization, fear, and most of all - anger. The girl she had bumped into had the same white fur, the same shoulder-length hair, the same dark blue eyes and sinister grin like last time; except this time, she was dressed up as one of the waitresses to blend in. _"you!"_

"Oh, _honey_." The feline grabbed Amy by the throat, the latter gasping for breath and glaring dangerously. "Bad night?"

* * *

Sonic was staring glumly into his glass, circling his finger around the rim. The basket of bread sticks lay abandoned, off to the side as he waited for his girlfriend to return. What did he do wrong _this time_? Girls were confusing!

His phone rang, bringing him out of his daze. Frowning, he dug through his pocket before he saw the caller ID and, frowning, put the phone up to his ear.

_"You're a dumbass."_

"Shadow?" Sonic looked around, his facial expression scrunched up in confusion and slight irritation.

Shadow shook his head from where he sat with Sally, staring right at the clueless hedgehog. "You don't just let her walk off like that."

"I know, I know..." Sonic sighed. "I just didn't know what to do! She wanted her space so...-" Record scratch. "_Hold up_. How do you know that?"

The other end was quiet.

Shadow opened his mouth just as Sally facepalmed, but what happened next left all unfinished conversations forgotten.

The girls' restroom door burst open and a pink body flew right out of it, startling everyone into a panic as she crashed onto the floor. The girl who threw her straightened from her crouch, looking neater and way more smug than her disheveled opponent.

Sonic sprung up from his seat just as many ran for the exit, eyes bulged out as the girl blew her hair out of her face and leaped back up to her feet stealthy. "_Amy?_"

"_Amy?_" Sally gasped.

"_Amy,_" Shadow leaned forward intently.

Amy growled, now taking off each heel before shoving them in her boyfriend's chest. For the first time, _Amy_ left _Sonic_ in the dust, taking off for her enemy just as the latter lunged for her. The pink hedgehog jumped, wrapping her legs around the other's neck and flipping over, bringing the feline down with her to the floor with a _thump_; she avoided the punches and jabs aimed at her face and brought her lower body up, sliding off the floor and flipping backwards to her feet. Providing space now, she went back into battle head on and spin-dashed the white feline, sending the 'waitress' pummeling into the nearest dinner table.

Sonic wasn't even in the fight, and he was knocked breathless. His reactions were slowed, fully distracted by _her_ as she fought, and didn't notice Shadow and Sally coming up on his flanks until a full beat of silence passed.

"What do we do?" said Sally, already tensed for battle.

"I don't know." Shadow's eyes narrowed, studying the scene before him.

Sonic blinked before it registered.

"-_When did you two get here?!_"

"Still don't remember me, do ya?" the villainess taunted, wiping salad dressing off her cheek as she stood on the table.

"For someone who _claims_ she's all that, you would think someone would know your name already!" Amy jested back, enjoying the annoyed sneer on the other girl's face. "Either you tell me who you are, or I'm just gonna give you a _nickname, _instead." She sunk into a defensive stance. "And it _won't_ be pretty!"

The feline pounced, performing an artful somersault and swinging her arm back. She came down hard, punching Amy square in the jaw and sending the pink hero backwards. Advancing on her, the cat punched her twice before turning around once more with her leg lifted, sending a swift kick to Amy's head. But Amy ducked just in time, bending down and bringing her leg around to trip the other girl. Her adrenaline was racing and her instincts were kicking in. All of that excess training while Sonic was gone was beginning to pay off. She was knocked down once. She wasn't going to let that happen to her again.

Stretching her jaw and giving it a ginger rub, she turned her fierce gaze back on the other girl, who spit blood out of her mouth.

"You have the_ nerve_," now it was Amy's turn to advance, and all eyes were on the hero as she took one step after another towards the girl who began to crawl backwards, "to _beat_ me, then _crash_ my date, and_ try_ to beat me again?"

Amy snapped her fingers, and her Piko Piko Hammer appeared in her ready hand.

"Well let me tell you something, _honey_," she raised her weapon high in the air. "Do you know who you're messing with? _I'm Amy Rose!_ Sonic the Hedgehog is _my_ boyfriend, and I am _not_ a damsel in distress!"

Sonic grinned proudly.

Amy started to swing down, but someone grabbed her hammer to stop her. Sonic's grin fell clean off his face, his and Shadow's gaze zeroing in on the very blonde waitress from earlier. Amy turned in confusion and the blonde dodged her next attack, only to swiftly come up and kick Amy in the chest and looking strangely apologetic when she did it. Amy dropped her hammer and she was airborne from another hard kick, crashing into the wall before she fell to the floor. Every waiter and waitress turned on the city's heroes, their gazes turned threatening.

And that's when Sonic, Shadow, and Sally sprung into action. Sonic sped off to go help his girlfriend, throwing off his blazer as he went; Shadow withdrew his chaos emerald, its power growing under the hedgehog's touch; Sally raised her arms before they came down swiftly, her energy blades coming out with a _ssslt_.

Let the battle begin.

Sonic dashed his way through, careful not to hit any innocents, but it was hard to tell when every person left and right was trying to annihilate him. It was an uproar. There were screams echoing from left and right, guns fired and beams of light soared out from them, breaking glass that shattered everywhere. He had his eyes for one person, and one person only.

"Amy!" he shouted over the screams, desperate to get to her. "Amy!"

_"Amy!"_

The rosy hedgehog opened her eyes, disoriented from her fall. Her eyesight was blurry and she felt as if the wind was knocked out of her. _Who was that other girl? Did she really kick her _that_ hard_?

Sonic's voice brought her back to reality, her head lolling lifelessly to the side in the direction of the angelic sound. She could see him coming for her, but then two people grabbed him and a third had a gun pointed to his head.

Amy's arm shot out and her hammer flew into her hand. She thrust it forward from where she lay, knocking the gunned man down instantly. Hopping to her bare feet, she ran for her boyfriend at full speed, dodging and jabbing everyone and anyone who got in her way.

"Amy, duck!"

Amy bent over just as Sally reached her, the chipmunk using the younger girl's body for leverage as she rolled over her, bringing her energy blades around in a skillful attack. Bewildered but thankful, they sent each other curt nods before they searched the crowd for blue and black.

But Sonic was already running for them - or in their _direction - _with the weirdest thrilled/panicked expression on his face. "Hit the deeeeeeck!"

Confused, both Amy and Sally began to run after him but looked over their shoulders just in time to see Shadow slowly rising in the air, his entire body engulfing in a bright red light. They realized what he was about to do, and knew they only had _seconds_ to get out of the way. The trio desperately ran for the bar, all three jumping at the same time over the bar table. Amy scrambled to get under it as best as she could, but Sonic's arm was already wrapped around her and pulling her flush against his side, his free arm around Sally in a similar fashion and just as protectively.

"_Chaos_...**_BLAST_**!"

* * *

It was quiet after that. Almost eerily quiet. The sound of the explosion was so thunderous that it nearly broke some eardrums, but the three heroes hiding behind the bar were just alright. Debris still fell, like ash on the ground of a battlefield.

Sally slowly lowered her hands from her ears, breathing maybe a little faster than normal. Amy, still nestled in Sonic's arms, raised her head just as he did. But Sonic wasn't concerned about the situation at hand. At least not really. He brushed a loose quill behind her ear, cradling her face as their eyes met. Amy leaned into his touch and he wanted to sigh in relief. _She_ was okay. _He_ was okay. _They both were okay_.

"Shadow?" Sally called, just to be sure.

"..._What?_" his winded voice answered back with traces of irritation.

Sally shook her head but felt herself smile, crawling out of their little hiding space to inspect the damage, looking back briefly at Sonic and Amy as they stood up together hand in hand. There were barely any bodies, but there were shreds of burned clothes and melted weapons. The painted walls were singed and peeling, and every table was tossed over in some form or fashion.

And Shadow was leaning back against one of them, his arm lazily slung around a table leg. Using that much chaos energy made him exhausted, but he was still able to glare at his rival.

"Nice goin', Shads." Sonic gave him a thumbs up. "Although that woulda been nicer if you had done it sooner."

"Oh,_ I'm sorry_ for not wanting to risk _harming innocents who were still in the damn room!"_

Sonic held up a hand innocently, his free one still interlocked with Amy's.

"You not wanting to kill people? Hey, that's _character development_, buddy."

Amy leaned up to whisper in Sonic's ear, and he slouched so she wouldn't have to strain, "Can you take me home?"

Sonic looked over at her and nodded, mouthing '_okay'_ before turning to the other hedgehog. "I'm gonna take Amy home."

Shadow waved him off, still catching his breath.

"We'll catch up," Sally told the two in reassurance. Amy nodded, and Sonic scooped her up bridal style once more.

"See ya!"

Sally was the only one who saw the sadness in Sonic's eyes before he and Amy disappeared in a gust of wind. Shadow sighed and Sally slowly turned on her heels, now getting smug.

Shadow growled. "If you say _'I told you so'_, I swear to God-"

"I'm not saying _'I told you so'_..." Sally crossed her arms and glared at him pointedly, lips pursed and head swerved. "But I _totally _told you so."


	23. Bittersweet

**Chapter title named after the song of the same name by Ellie Goulding. I get a real strong Sonamy vibe from it. Feel free to listen to it as you read!**

**Nothing but fluff in this chapter ;3**

* * *

The two hedgehogs were quiet as they walked up to Amy's house.

"Thanks for taking me home," she mumbled, fiddling with her keys.

"Don't mention it," Sonic mumbled back. He really felt horrible. Couldn't he do anything right? The one time he tried to be a good boyfriend and it ended in a total disaster.

Amy looked down at her bare feet. She never did get her heels back...

"Look, Amy..." His voice made her head snap back up in surprise. "I'm sorry...-"

"_You're_ sorry? For what?"

"For...ruining our date and...your heels..." he added the last part sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

To _his_ surprise, she started giggling.

"Don't worry about the heels." She shook her head and inched closer to him. "And...about earlier..._I'm_ sorry about having a breakdown on you...and leaving you...This wasn't your fault, Sonic. Even though we ended up fighting tonight..." There was double meaning in her words as she cupped his cheek, smiling tenderly at him. His gaze softened. "I still think we did good for a first date. Thank you."

Amy then leaned in and kissed him. Sonic closed his eyes and returned the favor, his hands leaving his pockets to encircle around her waist. Maybe his night didn't completely suck after all. Who woulda thunk it?

"So...you're not mad at me anymore?" He grinned, leaning their foreheads together.

She hummed and shook her head, rubbing their noses together. "You're not mad at me?"

His grin widened. "No."

Amy pecked him once more before she pulled away, sticking her house key into the door. Sonic took this time to begin retreating; she was probably tired from all that fighting. _He_ wasn't of course, but if she still needed space...

"See you tomorrow?"

She chewed on her bottom lip, slowly turning back around on the heels of her bare feet, watching him go. Any second now, and he'll be gone for the rest of the night.

"Actually...Sonic?"

Sonic froze midstep.

"Will you stay tonight?" Amy blushed.

"Uh?" Sonic turned back around, eyebrows raised. "Really?"

Her blush deepened and she nodded, shifting her weight from one foot to the next. "If you want..."

Sonic didn't think long about it because he was already walking back over to her. She wanted him to _stay. _Why would he pass an invitation like this up? Of course, he's been there for a few hours until she fell asleep before, and that_ one_ time when she didn't know he was there...But Sonic had never _spent the night_ at Amy's house.

"Okay." Sonic grinned down at her to ease her nerves, even though his stomach never really stopped doing backflips all night. She beamed at him and opened her door, he following close behind her. "So, uh..."

"Make ... yourself at home?" Amy suggested, smiling at him bashfully. "I need to go upstairs and freshen up and..."

"Take your time. I'll be here." He gave her his signature thumbs up and wink; Sonic then gave the room a brief glance before hopping on the couch, stretching out in a sprawled position. Amy rolled her eyes fondly and padded upstairs, feeling his eyes on her back when she left.

Amy _may_ have rushed a little bit. Her shower was quick, and she made sure to scrub all of the makeup off her face. After drying her quills and tying it up, she padded into her room to get dressed into something more loose fitting. She settled for a long-sleeved top that dipped off one shoulder and cotton shorts, giving her quills a good ruffle as she looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't look too bad. There wasn't any sign that she had just been in battle not even an hour ago. She had no wounds, not a scratch left on her body. Fresh from the fight. _Score for Team Rose!_

Coming back downstairs, she found him in the exact position she left him in. Comfy as can be, the blue speedster had his arms behind his head, a jittery leg dangling off the couch; his handsome gaze, formerly on the ceiling, fell on her as soon as he heard her footsteps. His smile would have sent her into a giggling fit if she were eight years old, but man did that hedgehog do things to her. The lopsided, warm grin sent in her direction was enough to make her blush, and she smiled at him softly in return.

"I'm back," she announced, making a perky stroll for the couch. Sonic chuckled and sat up to give her room. She noticed that he was still in his suit and hummed. Would he be comfortable laying around in that all night? Not that he didn't look drop-dead gorgeous, _in which he did of course,_ but still.

"Never left." Sonic's grin widened.

Her fingers clasped in front of her torso, shifting her weight from one foot to the next. She hadn't stopped smiling since she came down. "Thank goodness."

"Heh," Sonic laughed. The sound was always angelic. But then again, everything about him was just _so_ -

_Focus, Amy, focus!_

"Do you wanna change out of those clothes?" she asked.

"Hm? Oh, this?" Sonic pulled at his tie, hanging loosely around his neck. "Well, I guess so, yeah. But I didn't bring anything to wear...-"

"I have something for you to wear! I mean, uh-" _Crap_.

"You do?"

"I...may or may not have went shopping for you a couple of times?" Amy treaded sheepishly. "I-In case the opportunity ever came up..?"

"And how many times is_ a couple_?" His eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Um..." Amy blushed deeper under his gaze and finally sighed, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him upstairs up with her. "Oh, come on!"

Sonic cackled.

* * *

_"Sonikkuuuuu!"_

"Whaaaat?" Sonic called back, having to yell over the shower run.

_"Are you drowning?"_ He could hear the smile in her voice. She was teasing him.

"Oh yeah! Totally drowning in here!" Sonic rolled his eyes and grinned.

_"'Kay! Just checkin'!"_

"Suuuuure." Sonic continued to scrub himself down. Now don't get him wrong, he _hated_ water. But there _was_ a difference between avoiding beach trips and keeping himself clean. Once he was done, he turned the water off and stepped out of the tub, giving himself a good shake. He bent and grabbed the white towel that lay for him on the floor and wiped the rest of his fur, wrapping the towel around his waist.

Steam rolled out of the bathroom when he opened the door into Amy's room. Amy looked up from her magazine, and Sonic could've sworn she blushed. He had no doubt. The way she was looking at him now was probably not exactly polite for company. Not like he was complaining.

"Like what you see?" he winked at her while walking further into her bedroom. He saw her tongue dart out on the inside of her jaw in mild irritation and kept himself from grinning smugly. He found this to be very difficult. Sure, he tended to have quite the big ego on him; and his girlfriend wasn't doing anything but boosting that up. He remembered when he was younger, a ten year old hedgehog running around and saving the world; back then he was so shy, barely speaking to a soul. Then he met Tails and Knuckles, and rescued a cute pink hedgehog not too long after that. Good times. Gooood times.

"...Just put some clothes on, Casanova." Amy pointed to the top drawer and he swaggered over to her dresser, digging through the neat pile of clothes.

"I'm not gonna find any _thongs_, am I?"

Amy gasped, turning on her side to grab her pillow, chucking it at his head. Laughing, Sonic dodged her attack easily and grabbed the 'weapon', throwing it back at her. She had picked up a few things, he could tell, because she almost became a blur from moving so fast, rolling swiftly off the bed before the pillow could hit her back. She marched up to him with a playful look on her face, and Sonic held up his hands innocently, backing up until his back hit the wall.

"You wanna run that by me again, _sweetie_?"

"Nope," Sonic squeaked.

Amy perked up. "Good!" She dug her hand through the drawer, pulling out a pair of dark sweats and holding them up to his eye level. "Now _here_."

Sonic grabbed the pants, but he also used her hand for leverage and pulled her in for a kiss. He couldn't help it. If he was gonna be alone with her for the rest of the night, he was gonna use as many opportunities as he could. As many times as she said it was okay, he still thought their date bombed. Being a hero was a 24/7 job. He knew that, and she _definitely_ knew that. Sonic was always an instinct kind of guy. He went with his instincts; it was second nature to him. Sometimes, his instincts led him to victory. And other times, he'd probably look really stupid. But either way, he always came out on top.

Funny how that works, because he doesn't remember them falling over on the bed. But when his body collapsed on hers in the midst of their liplock, he wasn't the only one who started to giggle. Her giggles shook him slightly, and he rained a few more quick kisses along her face and neck; he hopped off of her and the bed, ripping off his towel and yelling, "DON'T LOOK, I'M NAKED," before throwing his towel at her face.

Befuddled, Amy yanked the towel off her face; but by then, he was already dressed. And those sweats hung low on his hips.

_Sweet baby Jesus._

"Was that _really_ necessary? You coulda just told me not to look." Amy huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yeah." Sonic smirked. "But you woulda looked anyway."

Amy opened her mouth to object, but he was already walking back over to her. His hands wrapped around her ankles and pulled her closer until she was at the edge of the bed, the playful glint still in his handsome eyes. Her legs slipped around his waist, and his touch found its resting place on her thighs. Whatever reason she was irritated before was long forgotten, and she stretched to drape her arms around his neck. Their foreheads touched.

"Thanks again. For staying." She closed her eyes. He had no idea how much this meant to her. Normally he was so busy with his hero life, but it was also nice to know that he preferred doing that with _her_ by his side.

"The next time we go out, I'm wearin' sneakers." His eyes were closed too, his lips curved up in a lopsided grin again.

"Deal." She gigged. _The next time they went out. There_ will_ be a next time_.

She didn't know how long they sat there, with their arms ( and in Amy's case, _legs_ ) around each other, but she sure didn't want this feeling to go away any time soon.

Neither did he.

* * *

They lay together in the dark, limbs tangled together in some way or another. His fingers threaded through her quills over and over again, kneading her temples. Her head tilted, leaning into his touch as she began to slowly nod off to sleep.

His voice broke the comfortable silence.

"When I came back."

Her eyes fluttered open, peering up at him in confusion. "What?"

"The day when I came back," he treaded slowly, his gaze distant as he thought, "and you ran all the way over to meet me. You broke down and told me to never leave you again." Amy was quiet, gazing at him wordlessly. He felt her gaze on his face and flickered his own down to meet hers. "That's when I knew I had feelings for you."

And that's when it hit her. _He was answering her question from earlier_. "The day you gave me the rose..."

Sonic chuckled. "That's the one."

Amy beamed, throwing her arms around his neck in enthusiasm; unintentionally, she knocked him over on his back and onto his opposite side, clinging to him like a small child. He wrapped his arm around her, hiding his grin in her neck.

"Sonic..." she sighed happily. The 'l' word was so close to slipping from her tongue, but she held it in and resisted. She didn't want to scare him away. If she knew him as well as she thought she did, then she would wait. She waited this long for him to finally call her his girlfriend, and she can wait as long as she had to to hear him say those three words. He nuzzled her affectionately, and she returned the gesture.

"Somethin' still doesn't add up though." He lifted his face from her neck, resting his head back on her pillow.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Why were Shadow and Sally spying on us?"

She lifted a shoulder. "Maybe to see if we were safe?"

Sonic snickered. "Sure. That's the _only_ reason."

Amy saw the look on his face and started giggling.

_Oh ho ho._

* * *

When Amy woke up the next morning, she felt warm. _Really_ warm. Another set of arms were wrapped around her from behind, longer legs intertwined with hers. A different heartbeat, slow and steady, thumped against her spine. It took her a minute to wake up fully, but Sonic's warm breath tickled the back of her neck. Her hips began to wiggle against him as she attempted to move, and she heard him groan, his pelvis thrusting up into hers and holding her tighter. She felt her face get hot.

"Don't do that," his voice, deep from sleep, sent tingles down her spine, "unless you want mating season to come early."

The thought of_ that_, with _him_, made her muzzle burn. "You're not exactly playing fair either," she said back, her voice half mumbled into the pillow they shared.

There was a grin in his voice, and she was pretty sure it was as attractive as it sounded. "You started it."

"Nuh _uh_."

His reply was just as childish, giving her ear a playful tug with his teeth. "Yuh_ huh_."

"_Sonikku_," she whined.

"Yes, Pinkachu?" he hummed innocently.

"You keep this up, and we are _never leaving this bed_."

"Is...that a _threat_, or a_ promise_?"

Amy began to shift again, and his grip loosened on her, turning around in his embrace to look at him. His quills were slightly ruffled, his gaze lidded from sleep, and she was so right about that grin. She meant to glare at him, but the ending result was a pitiful look, chewing down on her bottom lip. She couldn't resist him. The pink hedgehog took her face in his hands and kissed him, and it didn't take long for him to kiss her back. She rolled over, and he pulled her on top of him, their bodies pressed flush together. Her fingers took their time down his ribs, arching into him as his bare hands began creeping up her shirt and -

Her phone started ringing.

Amy groaned, breaking their kiss and beginning to sit up. But Sonic had something else in mind. He grabbed her hips, flipping them over so he was on top, leaving her gasping in surprise. "Ignore it," he murmured and dived back down, latching his lips onto hers. Her wide eyes closed, returning his kisses with passion. She liked this new side of him. Like..._a lot_.

The phone kept ringing.

His lips were on her neck now, and she bit her lip, her chin tilted up to give him more access. As his kisses continued to go south, his hands went in the opposite direction, finding hers in the midst of the moment. Their fingers laced together and he slowly pushed them up, pinning her arms above her head. His ears picked up every gasp. Every whimper.

_If that phone doesn't stop ringing_ -

"Sonic...what if it's important?" she panted.

"It's probably not..." he whispered against her throat.

"If we don't answer it, it's just gonna keep ringing..."

"Don't care..." The male hedgehog inhaled deeply, basking in his girlfriend's scent.

"_Sonic_..."

She was trying to be serious, yet her voice betrayed her desire. He caught her tone, however, and he sat up, still straddling her; his gaze slowly drifted over to her ringing phone, and she saw the darker tint in his normally bright green eyes, mixed with his apparent irritation. "Amy, if the world _isn't_ in danger right now, then I swear -"

"Shh, I know." She sat up, leaning to kiss his chest before reaching for her cell phone. Sonic lifted his hips to give her room to move, watching her swipe her thumb across the screen to answer, flopping back over on her backside underneath him. Somehow during their makeout session, her quills slipped out from its ponytail; her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were partially swollen from his kisses. His chest swelled with pride. She was _his_.

"Hello?" Amy said into the phone, looking up into his eyes. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze, and his blank gaze softened.

_"Took you long enough to answer the phone."_

"Oh, hey, Rouge!" She inwardly winced at how breathless she sounded, and pressed her lips to keep herself from laughing at Sonic's face right now. He looked like he wanted to throw a table. No doubt he would.

_"Morning, honey. Sleep good?"_

"Mhm," Amy hummed. "Why are you calling me so early?"

_"Am I interrupting something, Pinky?"_ She could hear the smirk in Rouge's voice.

"Um...sorta."

Sonic snorted.

_"Ooh, havin' fun with Big Blue?"_

Amy sighed. "Yes."

As Rouge spoke again on the other line, Sonic groaned and crawled up Amy's body, burying his head in the place where her shoulder and neck met. Amy wrapped her legs around his waist to keep him there, her free arm doing the same fashion around his shoulder as she carried on with her conversation.

"Told ya it wasn't important," he grumbled, his hands making her shirt ride up a little as he held onto her.

'_Shh_,' Amy mouthed.

"..._anyway, you won't_ believe_ where I am_."

"Rouge, there are more than a handful of places that you can be right now."

Rouge giggled. _"Well, you can say I'm making breakfast. In _his_ sweatpants."_

Amy sat up so fast that she nearly knocked Sonic off of her lap. "Shut up! You didn't!"

_"No. But I _do_ like to steal."_

She shook her head slowly. "You're crazy."

_"Bat girl!"_ Knuckles' voice barked in the background.

"Uh oh," said Amy.

_"Don't worry. I got this. I'll call you back, hon."_

"Take your time," Amy muttered under her breath.

If Rouge heard her, she didn't make a sign of it. _"Bye!"_

"See ya!"

Amy hung up the phone, laying back down, and sighed; she let her phone drop out of her hand during the momentum. Sonic, who had been awkwardly laying sideways from her abrupt movements, returned to his comfortable position on top of her once more.

"Knuckles is gonna kill her." Sonic shook his head into her shoulder.

Amy nodded in agreement, wrapping herself around him. "Yep." She nuzzled him, "Still mad?"

"...No," he sighed.

"Hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Yeeeah." She kissed the top of his head. "Let's go get something to eat."

Sonic slid out of bed, holding out his hands for her to take. She did, pulling herself out of bed, and led the way out of her bedroom, their fingers intertwining on the way out. "Can we-?"

"No, we are _not_ having chili dogs!"

Sonic whined.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" Knuckles demanded, eyes narrowing on what she was wearing. The tight white cami was obviously hers, but he was gonna have to burn those pants. "I didn't tell you to get _comfortable_."

"I didn't hear a_ 'no'_." Rouge cut the stove off, leaning back against it. "Besides, your little sister let me in."

"Traitor!" Knuckles waved his fist at Tikal as the younger echidna entered the room. The natural peacemaker.

"It's polite to let people in," Tikal said.

"It's also polite to_ slam the door in the faces of unwanted company_." Knuckles turned his gaze on the smirking bat.

"Ouch." Rouge pretended to be hurt, putting her hand over her heart.

"You never told me that," said Tikal.

"Really? Okay. Well, sweetheart, it's polite to slam the door in the faces of unwanted company!" Knuckles flashed a fake, sarcastic grin.

"Very funny. Rouge was nice enough to cook for us, and she hasn't gotten a thank you!"

"I didn't ask for it."

"You didn't have to."

Rouge looked from one echidna to the other, surprised yet pleased that Tikal was taking her side. It seemed like they were having a silent conversation, because Knuckles eventually sighed and turned to her reluctantly, arms stiffly pinned to his sides.

_"Thank you,"_ he said through gritted teeth.

Rouge smirked. "That's better."

"I'm gonna go freshen up. Thanks for cooking breakfast for us!" Tikal waved before she disappeared behind the corner, leaving the other two alone.

Rouge's eyes widened in the slightest as Knuckles suddenly stalked towards her, the space between them cut short in his three long strides. His hands clamped down on either side of her body as he leaned close, towering over her. Their bodies were barely touching. She was trapped.

"If I catch you in my house uninvited again," he whispered low, "I _will_ throw you off my island."

For the first time, Rouge's cheeks burned a bright red.


	24. The Team Meeting

**Yo okay so if you haven't been watching Sonic Boom, then you totally should! Little promo there. Anyways! Thank you guys so much for reviewing the last chapter, as well as your constant support in general!**

**I just had to give you all an early update. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sonic spit out his cereal. "You _what?!_"

Shadow glared at him, wiping the milk and chewed cereal chunks off of his jacket. "I'm not repeating myself, Faker."

"You and Sally? Haha,_ score!_" Knuckles snickered, high-fiving Silver.

"Hilarious." Shadow took off his now-ruined jacket, laying it across the back of his chair.

"Heh...sorry, Shad." Sonic pushed his bowl to the side sheepishly, watching Tails pick Shadow's jacket up to toss it in the washing machine. "So does this mean you two are, ya know?" He made weird gestures with his hands, but got the message across. Clearly, Shadow wasn't impressed, even if he didn't know for sure himself.

"I don't have time for this. Whatever _this_...is." Shadow tapped his fingers on his leg.

"Then...why did you make out with her?" Silver put a hand on his hip. "Listen, Shadow. Having a girlfriend is not that bad! It's the same as being friends with her, it's just..."

"Ya get to hug and kiss her all the time." Everyone's head snapped in Sonic's direction in mild surprise; the blue speedster cleared his throat and sat up straighter, faintly blushing. "O-Or somethin' like that."

"Speaking of, how did your date go with Amy, Sonic?" Tails asked.

"Eh, it went. We talked, Shadow blew stuff up...lost Amy's heels somewhere between the two."

"You were _attacked_?"

"Kinda."

"By who?"

"Who do ya think, buddy? That same chick who's after Ames half the time. I can't shake this feeling like...like I _know_ her for some reason?" It was at that moment when he and Shadow met each other's gaze and seemed to have a mutual understanding; did he see something too? "Anyway, I walked her home, she asked me to stay, and I did."

"Whoa, whoa, _**whoa**_ \- _you slept_ _over Amy's house?_" Knuckles' eyes bulked out.

"You sound like that's such a surprise." Sonic lifted his head, arching an eyebrow.

Knuckles then asked what he really wanted to say the whole time. "...What didja do?"He and Silver leaned in simultaneously, smirking instantaneously. Shadow rolled his eyes, and Tails shook his head in amusement.

"...Nothing?" Sonic's voice went up an octave, now getting nervous. It was anything_ but_ that. 'Sides, what's wrong with gettin' some Amy kissin'? That's some real good kissin'...

"Guys, leave him alone," Tails defended his best friend.

"_Guys, leave him alone_," Knuckles mimicked in a high, scratchy voice. "Tails, my buddy, listen - when you get a girlfriend and you spend the night over her house, you don't just _spend the night._"

"Comin' from the guy who doesn't _have_ a girlfriend," Tails countered with, and Sonic's mouth formed into a tiny 'o'.

"And you do?" Knuckles shot back smugly.

"No, but at least I'm not oblivous."

"Oooh, are you gonna take that?" Sonic commented, looking from one teammate to the other.

Knuckles' mouth opened, then closed, then opened again before stammering out, "O-Of course I'm not!"

"Are you_ sure_ about that?"

Sonic's mouth dropped further. Tails was good. "Oh no he _di'in't_."

"Oh yes he _di'id!_" Silver pitched in, resting his cheek against his palm.

"Don't think so hard, Knuckles," Tails advised teasingly, "we wouldn't want your head to explode."

Knuckles' eyes widened.

"_Daaaaamn!_"

"Shots _fired!_"

"I knew I should have stayed home today..." Shadow grumbled.

* * *

"Amy!" Cream's eyes lit up, opening the door wider.

"Hey." Amy smiled back at her best friend, looking pretty in her sundress.

"Please, come in!" Cream grasped the taller girl's hand and pulled her inside, much to the hedgehog's amusement. She remembered all the sleepovers they used to have when they were younger, and how Vanilla had always been the mother figure in Amy's life. The rabbits always told her that their home was hers. Amy looked around, taking in the nostalgia. This really was her home away from home. Nothing's changed, except for the new flowers in the window of course.

"Momma's at the shop, but she would've been happy to see you," Cream explained. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine. I ate before I left. Thank you." Amy sat down on the couch, smoothing out her dress.

Cream smiled and nodded, taking her natural place next to her. "Blaze and Silver are back in town. Isn't that exciting?"

"I know. I hope we get to see them today."

"Me too."

"How are you?" Amy asked.

Cream perked up. "I'm well! I've hung out with Tails for almost every day of this week."

"That's sweet. What have you guys been up to?"

"I've been teaching him how to make flower crowns, and he's been teaching me how some tools work." Cream absentmindedly played with her fingers. "And one day he said he's gonna teach me how to fly the Tornado! Or at least, I think...? But! We're taking baby steps so...he doesn't want me to get hurt or anything. I know he would never let anything bad happen to me, and I hope he feels the same."

_Oh he does_, Amy thought. _In more ways than one_.

"But enough about me." Cream grabbed Amy's hands in enthusiasm, bouncing up and down. "Tell me about your date with Sonic!"

Amy giggled and obliged, telling the younger rabbit everything from Sonic tripping to walking her home. When she got into detail about the fight, Cream occasionally gasped, her eyes widening with worry.

"...and then he walked me home and I asked him to stay the night," Amy was saying.

"Did he?"

"Yes." Amy blushed bashfully.

The traces of worry began to leave Cream's face. "Oh...well that was nice of him!"

"Yeah...it really was, Cream. I mean, now that I think about it...I had been so mean to him, but he still stayed and...and_ held_ me and...it was _so sweet_ and he was _so_...yanno?" Amy sighed, her gaze distant as she recalled events from that night. How sweet he was, how carefree he was...Sonic was always _himself_. That was one of the many things she loved about him.

Cream giggled behind her hand. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time. Sonic's always saving the world. He deserves some downtime, don't you think?"

"You know that I do. More than anything. But saving the world isn't his _job_. Being a hero is just who Sonic _is_. He goes where the wind takes him. And you're lucky if you get swept along for the ride."

Amy must have been quiet for a long time because after a long beat of silence, Cream patted her knee and got to her feet. "Let's make chocolate chip cookies, hm?"

Amy agreed.

* * *

When Sonic heard that Amy was at Cream's house, with the rest of the girls, he stopped mid-run and raced back the way he came. His friends were gonna meet him there. But of course he arrived first.

"Knock, knock!" Knuckles announced their arrival, Tails pushing the door open.

"Hey! You're just in time for cookies!" Cream walked up to them, her tray full of a new batch of cookies, fresh from the oven. The boys did not resist her open invitation.

"And team meeting!" Sally added after swallowing a piece. "I mean, we kinda started without you but, yanno. Get over here!" She beckoned them over. Tails, Knuckles, Silver, and Shadow walked around Cream and Sonic to get to the center of the room.

"Where's Amy?" Sonic asked, looking around for a sign of pink.

"In the kitchen. She fell asleep," Cream whispered.

"Asleep?"

"Yes. She's been coming up with theories since we started baking. I told her to take a breather because she was overworking herself."

Huh. "Okay. Thanks, Cream."

Sonic rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen, where he finally saw the pink hedgehog; she was slumped over at the kitchen table, softly snoring, her cheek pressed against the table. Her hand was still in writing position, even if her pencil had eventually fallen out. He came closer and saw the sketchpad, still laying propped open on the wooden surface.

Curious, Sonic picked it up. He began to thumb through the first couple of pages, seeing unfinished thoughts and sketches of her new enemy. There were numerous signs of erasing, but her penmanship was still legible and elegant with curves and hearts on the i's. He also saw his name sketched here and there, which brought a little smirk to his face.

He glanced over the pad and looked at her again, the beginnings of a frown gracing his features. In this moment, she reminded him of Tails; he would find the kitsune late at night, fast asleep in the most awkward positions in the kitchen and the workshop. He closed her sketchpad and put it back down on the table, now walking around to where she slept and knelt down in front of her. His fingers brushed some of her loose quills back, and he leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead. "Ames?"

Amy hummed, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked in confusion before their eyes met; and she started to smile. "Hey..."

"Hey," Sonic smiled back at her.

"When did you get here?" Amy yawned, wiping her eyes. She sat up, and Sonic stood to his feet.

"Not long. Cream called us over. What's up with a sudden team meeting?"

"Well..." Amy blinked a few times, still a bit drowsy. "It was just me and Cream and Rouge...Sal...and Blaze...Sally suggested that we should include you too so..." She took his outstretched hand and was pulled to her feet.

He picked up her sketchpad and handed it over to her. "When did you get this?"

"I've had it for a while, but I only use it when necessary. This is a necessary situation and I thought, yanno." Amy began walking over to the others, and he fell into step with her. "Didja look in it?"

"Uh..."

"You did."

"Yeah." Sonic grinned sheepishly.

Amy giggled and shook her head.

Their friends were waiting for them, all well situated. Tails, Cream, and Knuckles sat together comfortably on one couch; Sally and Rouge took up the loveseat, with Shadow standing in the corner nearby; Silver sat in the recliner, and Blaze was lounged back on the arm.

"So," said Silver. "What's our next move?"

"I say we go to Eggman himself and see what he's up to," said Sally. "It's obvious he's up to something."

"Yes, but where's the proof?" Shadow spoke up, and Sally and Rouge turned around in their seats to look at him. "I'm not saying he's innocent, but we need solid proof before we go any further. At the restaurant, there were no robots. No Eggman army."

"They were people like _us_."

Shadow nodded in Amy's direction. "The Doctor orders his robots around. He can't stand the Faker, not like I blame him." Sonic shot Shadow a look, to which the dark hedgehog smiled mockingly in return. "Why would he have the patience to boss around our kind?"

"So Eggman's _not_ behind this?" said Tails.

"Not entirely," said Shadow. "If it were, wouldn't he have attacked us by now?"

"The last time Amy and I saw him, he looked kinda freaked out," Sonic added. "D'ya think he's loosin' his touch or somethin'?"

"Wouldn't be the first time we've faced something bigger than Eggman..." Amy said. "Remember how Metal Sonic was behind it all when we thought it was Eggman the whole time? It took _all_ of our teams_ plus_ Team Sonic's super forms."

"She's right. What if we got another bad guy on our hands, guys?"

Knuckles stood up. "We need to find all of the chaos emeralds."

"_Now_ you're talkin'." Rouge smirked.

"Not so fast." Tails shook his head. "You're right, the chaos emeralds are _always_ a top priority, but we also need to know who we're up against. Shadow's right, we can't just burst in without proof. Or a plan."

"Looks like we're getting the band back together." Sonic grinned. "How 'bout it, guys?"

"Um, one problem," Sally held up her finger. "I don't have a _team_ like you guys do."

"Seriously?" said Rouge.

"Yeah, 'cause there's me, Cream, and Blaze; then Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles; the Chaotix; and Shadow, Rouge, and Silver and..." Amy counted them all off, lastly falling on Sally and giving her a sheepish look. "Sorry, Sal."

Sally shrugged, nonchalant. "Whatever. Just as long as I get to kick some ass."

"I'm game!" Sonic put his hand in the middle. "Who's with me?"

Amy was the first to put her hand in, smiling at her boyfriend; then Tails and Knuckles, then Cream and Blaze, Rouge, Silver, and Sally followed suit with smiles on their faces.

"C'mon, Shads." Sonic flashed his rival a broad grin. "Whaddaya say?"

Shadow stared before he sighed and walked forward, finally putting his hand on top of Sally's to complete the stack of limbs.

* * *

**More Chaotix in the next chapter ('cause really, who doesn't love them?), as well as a new character addition! You wouldn't wanna miss it! ;D**


	25. Just Badgerin' Ya

**Enjoy these last few fluffy chappies, 'cause poop is about to get real.**

**Yeah, poop. I said it.**

* * *

"Breathe in. Out. In. Out."

Amy did what she was told, following Espio's directions; she held herself firm, legs parted a foot, hands balled into loose fists, eyes closed as she slowly inhaled and exhaled. She could feel her friends' eyes on her from where they sat in the background. Espio, with his arms behind his back, appraised her for a beat before nodding in approval and told Shadow, "She's ready for the blindfold."

The pink hedgehog had been training all morning with the best fighters: Espio, Shadow, and Silver. Now, all of her friends were the best fighters out there, but she felt like they were better at hand-to-hand combat. She trusted them. When Espio made his announcement, her heart leaped into her throat.

Sonic felt like he needed to voice his disapproval.

"Hold up. _Blindfold_?"

"Sonic, you have nothing to worry about. In dire situations, you need to rely on your other senses when you're rigged of sight," Espio explained patiently to the blue hero. Sensing the hedgehog's discomfort, Espio suggested, "Why don't you put the blindfold on her?"

Sonic huffed and got to his feet, taking the red blindfold on his way over to Amy. She tried to perk up and give him a reason not to worry. There was nothing to worry about, right? Right.

...Okay, maybe she was a little nervous. This was new. She's never fought with a blindfold on before. What if she messed up? What if she looked hideous while randomly swinging her limbs left and right?

"I don't like this," Sonic blurted out as soon as he reached her. "I mean, I know you can do it, Ames, but I just don't like the idea of...well..._yanno!_"

"You're not exactly _helping_ on the nervous part!" she whisper-yelled.

"Sorry!" he whispered back.

Amy sighed. "Can you please just put the blindfold on me? I wanna get this over with before I chicken out..."

Sonic obeyed and wrapped the red band around her head, tying it firmly in the back so it wouldn't slip off. Her world went black. She couldn't see a thing. It was like she had gone blind. "How's that?" she heard him say.

"Great." Her voice trembled slightly.

His hands were on her shoulders, tone soft and reassuring. "You'll be fine. I'm right here."

She nodded, reaching up to grasp his hands. His touch then moved up to her face, and she dug her fingers into his arms. "I gotta go..." she said; the pink hedgehog didn't see him nod, but she did feel him coax her face up, and her lips found his. For those short three seconds, Amy was able to forget the world around them - aand maybe the fact that everyone was watching them.

"Good luck," he whispered to her, giving her hands a squeeze, and the slight breeze told her that he had walked back the way he came.

Amy nodded and kept her gaze angled downwards.

"Can you see, Amy?" Espio called.

"No," Amy called back.

"Alright. Your opponent will also be blindfolded," he informed her.

Amy wanted to ask who her opponent was, but she realized that that would show weakness. She wanted to be strong. She wanted to feel powerful. And more importantly, she wanted to show everyone how much she's improved over the years. Of course, fighting at twelve years old was easy peas-y when you had your trusty Piko Piko Hammer.

_But things have changed since then, hadn't they?_

Quills ran just a little longer, the pink hedgehog standing just a little taller, but the fire never left her eyes. She had matured in several ways, including her deepened love and affections for the boy who used to run away from her, the boy who always had his mind on the field, now welcoming her affections with open arms. It took eight long years, but she could finally call Sonic the Hedgehog _hers_.

Espio counted down before announcing that the duel had begun. Amy took three measured steps forward, listening for any sounds. She heard nothing. _At first_. She vaguely wondered who she was fighting, and that would effect her fighting style. If it was someone bigger, she had the advantage of being lighter on her feet. If it was someone smaller, she would use her strength and hearing the most; it was harder to pick up someone's faint footsteps. Most of her friends were around her height and size, so she had a handful of options.

She reminded herself not to think too much, because if she did she would lose her concentration and eventually the duel, if not right after. Opponents always search for the possible weak spots before attacking. And since her sight was taken away, this left her at a disadvantage. But this also gave her anonymous partner a disadvantage as well.

Her ears perked up at the sound of her opponent sniffing in her direction.

"You can do it, Amy!"

"Shut up, Charmy! Let the girl concentrate!"

"She won't be able to concentrate if the two of you _don't keep quiet_."

Amy's lips curved up slightly. Charmy had been quiet up til then, and Vector was listening to music before; Espio expressed his irritation in a similar way that Shadow did, which she found very funny.

A tranquil voice spoke in her head, _You can do it, Amy. We believe in you_.

She nearly forgot that one of her friends had the power of telepathy.

_Thanks, Tikal_, she thought back.

The breeze shifted, and Amy got a whiff of something familiar. So she _was_ fighting someone she knows. But who was it? It couldn't be Sonic, of course. He smelled like coconuts. Tails and Knuckles had more natural scents like soap and fruit, and sometimes Tails smelled like mint. Cream smelled like flowers and Rouge smelled like the most expensive perfumes. Shadow smelled like that kind of cologne that always had you wondering '_what amazing scent **is** that_', and Silver wasn't far behind. Sally always smelled like cinnamon, and hugging Blaze was like cozying up by the fire (pun intended). Charmy's smell wasn't that far from Cream's, Vector's smell depends on what kind of gum he's chewing at the time, and Amy could have sworn Espio, Silver, and Shadow use _the same cologne_. Tikal and Knuckles tended to smell the same too, as if they had just stepped out of a vineyard.

_Who was she facing?_

And that's when she heard it. The unmistakable sound of a _boomerang_ flying through the air towards her. She swiftly turned to the side just as the weapon barely grazed her nose, and held her breath as she heard it soar off into the distance. If there's one thing she's learned about boomerangs, it's that -

_fwoo, fwoo, fwoo, fwoo, fwoo_

\- they always came _back_.

Grinning, she made a confident jump and reached up blindly to grab the boomerang, throwing it right back in the direction it came. Her landing was firm, and she shifted down into a defensive crouch, her ear facing her opponent. The giggle that was heard sent a wave of nostalgia through Amy's body, and she reached up to push her blindfold up so she could see for herself, ultimately ending the duel early.

Standing before her, boomerang in hand, was a female badger with wild blue eyes and clothes to match. Amy knew that giggle anywhere. She knew that boomerang anywhere. And she most definitely knew that _face_ anywhere.

"Sticks!"

Amy flew into Sticks' arms, hugging her friend tight. How long has it been since she's last seen her? It's been a couple of years, and Sticks hadn't changed a bit.

"Group hug!" Sonic announced, and no sooner than later did Tails and Knuckles surround them as well, Knuckles lifting the four of them off of the ground. The four of them met Sticks during one of their adventures in the past, and have kept close ties with her ever since. Her home was her habitat, so she didn't get out in the city much and, well, some people might consider her a little...odd.

But that's what her friends liked about her. Crazy, feral, naïve Sticks.

"You had me fighting Sticks the whole time?" Amy rounded her attention on Espio.

"I asked Sonic if he knew anyone who was attuned to their instincts more than the normal person," Espio said, walking closer.

"Yeah, but I didn't know he'd actually _find_ her!" Sonic said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously when Amy shot him a suspicious look out of the corner of her eye.

"_He_ was nice," Sticks said, pointing her thumb in Shadow's direction sheepishly. "That dark hedgehog scares me, though. Sonic, are you sure you're not twins? Or is he your evil twin from an evil dimension?" Sticks gasped. "He's here to kill us all!" she shouted, pointing her boomerang at Shadow. "The apocalypse is nigh!"

"Hey, chill, Sticks!" Knuckles held her fast.

"Yeah, Shadow scares everybody." Sonic waved a nonchalant hand, and Shadow glared at him.

"I am not, in any way, of relation to that_ faker_," Shadow's glare darkened at his lighter counterpart before settling his blank gaze on Sticks. "Nor in _any_ dimension. We may look alike to you, but we will _never_ be brothers."

"Ouch." Sonic placed his hand over his heart in mock hurt.

"Do you always have to be dramatic?" Tails gave Shadow a disapproving frown.

"He feels as if it's necessary," Sally approached the group with a roll of her eyes. "I'm Sally." She smiled and held out her hand to the girl; Sticks grinned and shook it, then leaned in and sniffed her.

Amy smiled and shook her head at the look on Sally's face and the old antics of her friend.

"You have an elegant scent!" Sticks complimented, turning to Amy for approval. "See, Amy? I still remember your lady lessons!"

"Yes, that's very good, Sticks. But remember - don't smell every person you meet. C'mon!" Amy perked up, grabbing her hand. "I'll introduce you to everybody."

* * *

"So what have I missed?" Sticks asked, stretching out on Amy's bed.

Amy filled Sticks in on what's been happening lately, including the possible danger on the horizon.

"No way!" Sticks exclaimed when she was finished.

"I know."

"Sonic left your shoes!"

Amy snickered. _Oh._ "That's...that's not what I was-"

"You and Sonic...so does this mean you're-?"

Sonic then walked into Amy's room at a brisk speed, looking like he was in a hurry.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked.

"G.U.N.," Sonic said and kissed her quickly. "Shadow and Silver want me up there for some reason. Catch ya on the flipside!"

"Be careful!" Amy called after him as he pushed her window up, and he was gone once more.

Sticks made a strange sound mixed between a scream and a cat being strangled. "Holy guacamole!"

"You thought I was lying, didn't you?" Amy grinned.

"Took them long enough, right?"

"Shut up, Sally."

Sally giggled and shook her head from where she sat; Cream lounged in the beanbag (that matched the color of her hair) next to her. Cream thought that Sticks was nice, but she was starting to miss Amy's attention. She knew Sticks didn't mean to interrupt her before she even began her sentences, and it was neat that Sticks was kinda Amy's sidekick for a while, but in reality Cream envied the badger. Even Sticks had _Tails'_ attention for a while!

Cream fidgeted in her seat.

"You okay?" Sally asked her with concerned, blue orbs.

Cream smiled and nodded, but it didn't meet her eyes.

Sally saw right through her. "What's wrong?" she lowered her voice.

Cream shook her head. _Sally, please_! her eyes pleaded. _Please not right now!_

Sally's lips pressed together.

"Sticks."

Cream's mouth formed into a tiny 'o', now shaking her head rapidly. She could feel Amy's confused gaze on her. _Sally, no! What are you-?_

"Why don't you and I go downstairs and make dinner?"

"Oh, I'm not sure if you should trust me around sharp objects 'cause sometimes I get a little-" Sticks babbled.

"_C'mon_," Sally was already up, pulling the younger girl out of Amy's room with her. After they were gone, Amy got up and took Sally's former place next to Cream, hugging her knees as she leaned back into the blue beanbag.

"Cream?"

"Hm?"

"What's goin' on? You've been acting weird since Sticks showed up."

Cream sighed. She couldn't keep secrets from the girl she's called her best friend her whole life. "Well...ever since Sticks arrived today it's like everyone's giving her all the attention and forgetting about me! I mean, I like her and she's really nice but I feel like...like she's _replacing_ me or something! And...And I don't know, you two were being inseparable and I barely got a word in and she even had _Tails'_ undivided attention and - and - I don't know, I guess I'm jealous! I have no reason to be, but it's just a feeling I can't shake and I know you all would never intentionally-"

Amy grasped Cream's hand and gave her a squeeze. "Hey, hey...It's okay to be jealous. Believe me. I know what _that's_ like." The rabbit smiled a little, and Amy returned it as she continued, "Did you know I used to feel the same way about Sally?" When Cream's eyes widened, she nodded. "Yeah. Big time. And this was a _loooong_ time ago. Sally was all of a sudden the center of attention, jokes were thrown around that I never understood because I was still kinda 'the new girl', yanno? And when I tell you she had Sonic wrapped around her finger, _boy did she_. But didja know what happened?"

"What?" Cream asked, in fear of her friend's answer.

"Nothing."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

"Nothing! Sally was always perceptive, yanno? She saw how left out I felt and spent time with me instead. We talked everything out and have been close ever since." Amy shrugged one of her shoulders. "So what if Sticks is suddenly getting all the attention? It'll pass. You have nothing to worry about, Cream. We don't love you any less!"

"Ohh..." And now Cream felt embarrassed.

Amy was smirking now. "Were you really jealous of Tails and Sticks?"

Cream blushed, and Amy knew the answer.

"Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Sticks...are you...is-is she-?"

"Sticks is just one of my best friends," Amy spoke fondly. Cream's face fell slightly, and Amy leaned over to nudge the other girl with her shoulder. "But you're my _sister_."

Cream beamed and threw her arms around Amy's neck.

* * *

"What's up with that Shadow guy?"

Sally paused in the midst of cutting the carrots. Sticks noticed and frowned; _what's up with her?_

"He's...a mystery," Sally said finally, resuming what she was doing.

"You like him, don't cha."

Sally dropped the knife.

"Too soon?" Sticks winced.

Sally pinched her forefingers together, lost for words. After the kiss, they never spoke of it, as if nothing happened between them. But Sally was sure she wasn't the only one who _felt_ something...right?

"It's...It's complicated," Sally said finally.

"Talking about boys again, are we?" Amy came into the kitchen, hand-in-hand with Cream. Good. They worked things out.

"Sticks brought it up."

"No I didn't! ...Wait. Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"Since you wanna talk about _boys_..." Amy smirked at Sticks.

Sticks started to panic. "Aw, _man_."


	26. Puppets

**Are you ready?**

* * *

Sonic must've _loved_ waking her up in the middle of the night, because _who else would it be coming through her window at one o'clock in the morning? _Nowadays, Amy went, _eff it_, and left her window unlocked at night just in case he decided to stop by. At the wrong time. Because she was always _asleep_.

Not for long anyway.

At first it was a little irritating. Now it's just an '_ah just make yourself comfortable I kinda missed you_' sorta thing. Still half-asleep, she lifted her sleepy head slightly to see his silhouette. The blue hero stretched in the moonlight, kicked off his shoes, and padded over to what was officially _his_ side of the bed. She felt the brief draft and instinctively curled inward, but a warm, lazy arm slipped under her and tucked her in.

"Hey." Amy yawned.

The yawn was contagious on Sonic's end, so it took him longer to answer. "- ... _Hey_."

"Yanno, you should gimme a heads-up _before_ I go to bed."

"I knooow, I know." Sonic sighed, burying his face into the back of her neck. Man, was he tired.

"How'd it go?" Amy closed her eyes. Like she'll remember this conversation in the morning.

"G.U.N. found a lead on Egghead...Gonna...do the thing...tomorrow and..."

That hedgehog was fast asleep.

And his girlfriend wasn't far behind either.

* * *

The halls were made of metal and glass, curved inward in circular angles. It was hard to sneak around in a place like this.

But that didn't stop a blonde hedgehog from roaming the halls at night. She walked with purpose, head held high, her footsteps as light as feathers. Soft patters gave her presence away, the cameras stationed in each corner following every sign of movement. But as composed as she was on the exterior from a distance, up close she was close to crumbling. There was the slightest tremble in her bottom lip, the palms of her hands sweating under her gloves. She should be in her pajamas, but she wasn't. She was clad in her full attire; almost an exact replica of the Doctor's himself, except with a sky blue jacket instead of red.

"Going somewhere, sweetheart?"

The familiar voice made her freeze in fear. Slowly, she turned around on her heel, taking a deep breath to get herself together. It's taken her a lot of practice, but she managed to keep her face blank..._enough_.

_"Scourge."_

The silhouette of him vibrated with his low, haunting laughter, before he stepped into the dim light. His smile showed teeth that were razor sharp. His blue eyes were icy and cold, intimidating and captivating upon first glance. His most notable feature was the green of his fur, and the scars shot across his chest like lightning.

Scourge the Hedgehog, unlike his..._other_ counterpart, was calculating and patient; his foot didn't tap. He didn't fidget. He was absolutely still, arms behind his back, stance firm. Eerily calm on the surface. But she knew better. He may use a friendly tone, but beneath the smile was a dark vengeance. He _will_ get what he wanted.

"Surprised to see me?" The sinister smile widened.

She pressed her lips together, swallowing inaudibly. "Not at all, actually."

"Wondering about your friend?"

Her heart began to race. "N-No."

Scourge came closer, eyes narrowing. Every instinct screamed at her to retreat, but she forced herself to stand her ground. He _fed_ on weakness. He used it against his targets. "Don't lie to me, _Maria_. You _know_ the consequences."

"I'm not lying," Maria Robotnik stammered a little. "I was just...I wanted to see how Thorndyke is coming along on the project."

"You've been spending a lot of time with him. The only reason I haven't _disposed_ of him yet is because I need his brain. Eggman is useless to me."

"If he's so useless, then why not let him go?" Maria suggested, meeting his gaze head-on.

Scourge smirked. "You have _a lot_ to learn, my dear."

:~:

"Chris?" Maria stumbled into the lab, looking around for her friend. Ever since the two former humans were pulled into Scourge's side of the tracks, they were quick to bond.

The young scientist's voice came from the back room, slightly muffled but became louder as he got closer. "Maria? Is that you?"

He finally rounded the corner and looked up from the stack of papers he held in his hands, clad in a white lab coat over his uniform; the sight of her made him smile, as tired as he was, and he pushed his glasses up to sit on top of his head. His fur was a reddish brown with traces of black and white, ears shaggy, muzzle as white as snow; the only recognizable traits he had were his spiky hair and blue eyes.

"Hi." Maria felt relief wash through her; one friendly face she needed before she could force herself to get some good shuteye.

"Hi." Chris set down his papers on the table next to him, taking off his glasses to set them on top. "What are you still doing up?"

"I should be asking you the same question. When was the last time you slept?" She came closer, noticing the bags under his eyes.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm used to it." Chris shrugged it off with a little grin.

Maria smiled, but the presence of it didn't last long; his lack of sleep would have had her in another one of her hissy fits on a normal night. Chris, however, was quick to notice that there was something else on Maria's mind besides his health, and already knew what it was.

"You're worried about her. Aren't you?"

The blonde nodded and hung her head. "I hate going on like this...I know it's...it's just..._wrong_. How is helping a monster take down our loved ones_ right_?"

"It's not. It never was." Chris' face grew solemn.

Maria took a deep breath. "I saw Shadow the other night."

Chris met her gaze with interest and curiosity. "You did?"

"Yeah. I - I think he recognized me."

"Did he say anything?"

Maria shook her head. "No. But I just can't shake the feeling that he knows who I am...and he just doesn't want to believe that I'm -"

"Not dead?"

She nodded mutely.

"I wonder if Sonic would know who I am..." Chris mused sadly, hanging his head. "At least you get to go _out_ there. I'm useless out in the battlefield. You get to _go out on mission_s and get to see someone you _care_ about, but I have to stay inside this hellhole for hours on end and be his _puppet_."

"Chris, I don't have a choice either. I do what I'm told, no questions asked." But she was tired of doing that. She was _tired_ of indirectly hurting her best friend and his friends. They all seemed like really nice people. This wasn't the way she wanted to live. This...has been going on long enough. "What if...What if we stop being puppets?"

Maria stepped closer to him when she knew that she had his undivided attention; his eyes widened, but he waited with baited breath, wondering where she was going with this.

"What if..._what if we fight back_?"

* * *

Amy was perkier when she woke up. She slid out of Sonic's arms and hopped in the shower, shrugging on the baggiest shirt she could find in her closet (which happened to be a pastel purple), as well as a pair of grey cotton shorts. Careful not to wake him, she sprinted out of her room and downstairs to make breakfast, pulling half of her quills up on her way down.

The pink hedgehog was in the mood for some pancakes, so that's what she made. She hummed around the kitchen, padding from the stove to the refrigerator to the cabinet and back again. She had a pep in her step, happiness brightening the deep green in her eyes as she cooked. She ended up making enough pancakes for two...or three, maybe four. Five at the most probably.

And that's when Sonic came down. She heard his footsteps, the deep, sleepy groan he made as he rounded the corner and into the kitchen. Turning off the stove and picking up her spatula, she emptied the last of the fresh pancakes onto the large plastic plate. A playful smile flashed across her face; she knew the irresistible smell of food would lure him eventually.

"'Morning. Ya hungry?" She cast a glance over her shoulder, turning her body completely in mild surprise when she saw how close he had gotten to her in a matter of two seconds. No, of course that wasn't distracting. At all. Pfft. As_ if_.

"_Starving_." He flashed her a lopsided grin and swooped down, kissing the corner of her mouth. He then noticed the amount of pancakes she had cooked and his mouth began to water, slipping just passed her to get to the counter. "Ames, did you cook for me and you, or is there another team meeting that I don't know about?"

"Maybe I got a little carried away?" Amy shrugged sheepishly.

"_A lil carried away?_ Hate to see ya go crazy." Sonic snickered. "Oh _wait_ -"

"Oh shut it, you." Amy poked him in the ribs. He automatically retaliated, his hands going right for hers. She squealed in protest when he began tickling her, and started kicking when he picked her up effortlessly; he had a firm grip on her, and she knew she couldn't go anywhere, as much as she feebly pushed against his shoulders. He carried her over to the countertop and set her on top of it, grinning cheekily up at her. She scowled at him, but it was soon replaced with a playful grin of her own. Her arms found their way around his neck, legs following suit around his hips; his own draped around the small of her back, letting his forehead touch hers.

"Mind if I crash here tonight?"

"Again?"

"If that's, uh - okay with you, I mean - if it's not -"

Amy giggled. "You know my door is always open. But apparently you don't like to come in through the door. Yanno. Like a_ normal_ person," she teased.

Sonic snorted. "The door's overrated. 'Sides, I thought you liked that? Don't girls like that stuff?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, cupping his face and nuzzling him. "Just eat your breakfast -_before_ it gets cold."

Sonic did so without question, filling his plate up with pancakes and grabbing the blueberry syrup on the way to his seat. She watched him and shook her head, bemused as she put two pancakes on her plate, grabbing her favorite syrup too - _strawberry_. Setting her plate on the table, she then turned back the way she came and fixed two glasses of milk. He thanked her with a cheeky grin when she returned and gave him a glass.

The two ate in mutual silence, making occasional small talk. Flirtatious looks and nudges were exchanged back and forth from over sips and bites. It wasn't until Sonic had gotten seconds and Amy was on her last pancake when a thought struck her, making her pause mid-bite.

"Wassap?" Sonic asked, raising his glass up to his mouth. And yes. He was on his fourth glass of milk. Don't give him that look! Those glasses were_ tiny_.

"What were you gonna tell me?" Amy looked up from her plate, balancing her chin between her two fists. "You mentioned something last night about G.U.N. ...?"

"Hm? Oh yeah! G.U.N. picked up suspicious activity around one of Egghead's old bases. Me and Tails were gonna check it out. Wanna come?"

Amy's eyes brightened. She loved it when he started inviting her to tag along with him along missions.

But then she remembered what she was supposed to do today and her face fell slightly.

"Oh..."

"Busy?" Sonic guessed.

"Yeah, I just-"

"Don't worry about it, Ames." He covered up his disappointment easily; as bummed as he was that she wasn't gonna be able to make it, he at least had a bright side - he got to spend some quality time with his best friend.

"Really?"

"Yeah! No sweat!" Sonic got up, empty plate and glass in hand. "Now gimme a kiss." He puckered his lips.

"Sonic, you have a milk mustache!" Amy scrambled out of her seat to escape his clutches.

"Gimme some sugar!" Sonic put them back down, but Amy was already running and screaming around the house, with him closing in on her. Milk mustache in all. "Wait! I _mustache_ you a question!"

"Oh yeah? Why don't you _shave_ it for later?"

"...Oh you're good."

"Mhm! And that's why you can't catch me!"

"Ames, you're asking for it!"

"Nah-nah, nah boo-boo!"

"_Asking for it!_"

"Nuh uh! There's no way that you'll - _eep!"_

Heh. He caught her.

* * *

**Those of you who have your questions, don't worry! All questions will be answered in the upcoming chapters. Bare with me :) Hope you enjoyed this one!**


	27. The Real Enemy

**Do I have any action lovin' readers here? :D**

* * *

"Just like old times, eh, buddy?" Sonic smiled proudly, hands on his hips.

The kitsune smiled too but kept his eyes on the skies. "Just like old times." Tails agreed.

"What's been goin' on with you lately? I heard you and Cream have been spending an awful lot of time together."

"Yeah, she's been a great help around the workshop and _heeeey_," Tails trailed off suspiciously, looking over his shoulder at his best friend with squinted eyes. The blue hedgehog snickered and Tails went on skeptically, "Where are you going with this, Sonic?"

"Nothiiiin'!" Sonic's voice went up two octaves, plopping down in the backseat. "I'm just sayin' what I heard through the grapevine!"

"Does this _grapevine_ have pink hair and green eyes?"

Sonic sighed blissfully, a stupid grin already spreading across his face. "Yeah..."

Tails rolled his eyes, shifting the Tornado's direction so they were heading east. "I see you and Amy are doing well."

"Yeeeah. She made pancakes this morning."

A short beat passed before Tails spoke thoughtfully, "Cream made waffles."

"Cream was at your house?"

"I gave her one of my spare keys. Woke up to the smell of her cooking." Tails grinned. "She makes waffles _better_ than me!" Sonic was quiet. "What?" Tails turned around curiously.

"- I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the '_giving her one of your spare keys_' part." Sonic, bewildered, scratched the back of his head. "And you say she's _not_ your girlfriend?"

"You have a spare key too, Sonic. We kinda live together."

"Well yeah but you gave a _girl_ your spare key! You gave Cream a spare key! You could've given it to Amy. You could've given it to Knuckles. But you decided to give the spare key to your little girly friend." Sonic sniffed playfully, wiping his eyes. "My boy's becomin' a man!"

Tails rolled his eyes again. "You're never gonna let that go, are you?"

"Nope!"

They reached the abandoned site in a matter of minutes, and Tails landed safely. What was there to greet them, however, threw them off guard.

"Knuckles?"

Or rather,_ who_ was waiting for them.

"You didn't think you were gonna do something stupid _without_ me, now did you?" The echidna grinned, arms folded across his chest.

Tails laughed, and Sonic shook his head with a grin.

"Third times the charm. Let's do this!"

"Hold on. Knuckles, how did you get here so fast?"

It was at that moment when Shadow and Silver stepped out from behind the rocks.

"Chaos Control. Shoulda known." Sonic put his hands on his hips. "Don't tell me you guys are in on this too."

"Guilty." Silver grinned.

"It's not common to see you do something stupid and reckless...without me there to see it." Shadow smirked.

Sonic returned it. They wanted in? Even _better_.

"And I'm just here to settle the peace just in case any of you decide to act like children."

The voice was Espio's this time, appearing out of nowhere. He was a chameleon. Of course.

"Alright is anyone else gonna show up?!" Sonic threw his hands up in the air.

"There shouldn't be." Espio put his hands behind his back and jerked his head in the direction of the base's entrance. "Let's move."

They went inside in a diamond formation, with Sonic in the lead, Tails and Knuckles at his flanks, Espio and Silver just behind them, and Shadow taking up the rear. Each male was silent, all senses on alert, ready to jump into action at anything that was planning on jumping out at them from the shadows. Knuckles walked with his fists balled up, and Tails typed away on his blueprint hologram to search the place. Silver's gold eyes flickered from one dark corner to the next, unable to stay still. Espio had his shuriken out and at the ready, twirling it effortlessly between his fingers, arms pinned to his sides. Shadow turned on his heel to look behind them and walked backwards; his gun raised with stealth.

And Sonic walked with his arms out protectively. He was confident and focused, body buzzing with eagerness for action and adventure.

Aaand then he broke the silence with a goofy grin, breaking the ice.

"So didja guys here that Tails gave Cream the other spare house key?"

He heard Tails sigh behind him.

* * *

"You can't beat Sticks! Because Sticks is unoblit...unoblu...unobliterebi..._You can't kill me_."

"Oh we'll see about_ that." _Sally shot up to her feet next to her opponent, both jamming their thumbs into the video game controllers, eyes glued to the screen. Sally smirked, "_Short stuff_."

"I am not. Short!" Sticks screeched, making Sally's smirk widen. The chipmunk made her point by reaching over to rest her elbow on Sticks' head effortlessly. Growling, Sticks threw down hers and lunged at Sally; she was determined to make the older girl_ lose_.

"Hey! You're cheating!"

"Not my fault you're a sore loser!"

"You callin' me a liar?"

"I ain't callin' you a truther!"

"Ladies, please..." Tikal attempted to intervene.

"Who's side are you ON?!"

"Sticks, that's my_ ear,_" Amy deadpanned.

"Maybe we should do something else?" Cream piped up timidly.

"Beats watching these two," Blaze agreed and rested her cheek in her palm.

"Hey...HEY!" Rouge raised her voice, and the bickering ceased. The bat put her hands on her hips and stared at Sally and Sticks pointedly. "_Now_. Can we pull up our big girl panties, find a bridge, and _get over it_?"

Sally sighed and crossed her arms, narrowing her gaze.

Sticks turned to Amy. "I don't get it."

"It's a figure of speech, Sticks. Rouge and Tikal want you and Sally to get over your differences," Amy explained in a monotone.

_Maybe I should have went with Sonic. Anything beats this! I'm so bored!_

"Ooooh."

Suddenly, Cream's wristwatch went off and she gasped, shooting to her feet. Amy noted the look of panic on her face, making her get to her feet too.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"It's Tails. He's in trouble!"

The girls exchanged glances.

Amy's heart leaped into her throat._ Sonic._

:~:

"Cream?" Rouge and the girls followed the rabbit, all with confused and concerned looks on their faces.

"Tails gave me a spare key and told me where to go if he was ever in trouble!" Cream explained in a rush, pushing the key in the lock and twisting it, nearly bursting into the kitsune's empty home. Amy was right behind her, the rabbit leading the way into the workshop, where a big screen and dashboard sat. An alarm was sounding from it, sending several heartbeats in a frenzy. Cream's fingers raced across the keys, briskly typing away, eyes locked on the screen. Amy was amazed by how focused Cream had become in a matter of seconds.

"There!" Cream pointed as a map popped up, starting off far away, but soon began to zoom in as Cream tapped her pointer finger on a selected key.

"Eggman's base..." Amy gasped, "Sonic told me he and Tails would go check it out today! What if-?"

"Is anyone else noticing that there's _more_ than two coordinates up there?" Rouge brought their attention to the amount of red dots vibrating in one place on the map.

"You don't think..."

"They _wouldn't_."

"Oh they _did_."

"What do we do?" Sticks narrowed her eyes at the screen, drawing her boomerang out defensively.

"Well, we're not just gonna stand here!" Amy whirled around, a determined fire in her eyes. "Like it or not, the boys need us. We're gonna help them! And no matter how much we get on each other's nerves, we have to work _together_." She held her chin high with confidence. "Who's with me?"

"Me," Cream brushed Amy's arm with her own. "You know I'm always with you, Amy."

"Me too." Blaze nodded, and Amy grinned at her teammates.

"This is gonna be fun." Rouge smirked in agreement.

"Sticks? Tikal?" Amy said, looking from one girl to the other.

"I go where she goes." Tikal stepped closer to Sally, and the chipmunk's wide eyes met the echidna's.

To shock everyone further, Sticks stepped forward and nodded. "Me too."

Amy grinned at the bewildered look on Sally's face. "Looks like you got yourself a team, Sal."

The grin was returned and Sally nodded.

"Alright, girls! Let's go!" Amy exclaimed.

* * *

"When I said don't touch anything, I meant don't touch anything!" Knuckles snapped, ripping an eggbot's head off of its hinges. "I _TOLD_ you it was booby trapped!"

"Ha ha! You said _trap!_" Silver guffawed, blasting eggbots left and right.

"So done..." Shadow grumbled under his breath, shooting his gun without looking at the eggbot he just hit.

"It was just a little misunderstanding..." Espio dodged an attack, throwing a shuriken.

Sonic shrieked, escaping the eggbot's clutches just in time. "Hey! Watch out, man!"

"Quit bein' a little bitch and help then!" Knuckles barked.

"I'm tryin'! _Can't you see I'M TRYIN'?!_"

"Could you guys keep it down, please? I'm trying to find the kill switch and shut them down!" Tails was too busy typing at the dashboard, ducking when an eggbot was thrown into the wall.

"Well ya wouldn't have to if_ Silver_ hadn't pressed the big red button that said '_DO NOT PUSH'!_ Curiosity obviously did not kill the cat. Curiosity killed the damn hedgehog because Silver's dumb ass decided to be _curious!_" Knuckles snapped, bashing two heads together.

"Hey! I thought he might've been bluffin'! Who puts a _'DO NOT PUSH'_ button in an abandoned base? Obviously, someone _had_ to push it, so I did!" Silver defended himself, dodging an attack and returning it tenfold.

"Eggman knew someone was gonna push it. That's _why_ he put it there. Way to go!"

"DO YOU TWO NEED TO GO BACK TO _THE CORNER?!_" Sonic yelled over the uproar. The eggbots kept coming, and they kept getting bigger. Tougher. He bounced his way through them all, sending an annoyed look over his shoulder at the children he called his friends. He stopped any eggbots that tried to get close to Tails, and any that did was soon met by twin tails and a good left hook.

Sonic grinned, watching his best friend duck once. Twice. A hand shot out to grab the eggbot, a knee shot up, and completed the combo with a swift kick, sending the eggbot backwards. It shattered into pieces as soon as it landed on the ground.

"Alright, pal!" Sonic gave him a thumbs-up and Tails grinned before that sunny smile wiped clean off of his face. Sonic frowned in confusion. Why was Tails suddenly looking so..._frightened_?

"Sonic, look out!"

The last thing Sonic remembered was a flash of green, and then his world went black.

:~:

A flower-shaped hover car soared through the air, each girl sitting in a petal seat. A young rabbit was flying as fast as she could, her friends tensed and on high alert. Not everyone had a seat, so an ivory bat flew next to the flying vehicle, and a pink hedgehog stood in a crouch, her eyes glued ahead.

"I just hope we're not too late!" Cream yelled over the engine's purr.

Amy shook her head, looking down to give the younger girl a reassuring smile. "It's never too late."

Cream's lips pulled up and she turned her attention back to the skies, missing the inaudible gulp of the older girl.

_I hope_.

:~:

A green hedgehog grinned slyly and pressed a button on his watch. All of the remaining eggbots dropped where they stood, the beaten heroes among the bodies.

"Calling for help already?" the mysterious hedgehog addressed Tails directly.

Tails lifted his thumb off of his communicator, putting on a brave face. The only ally he had right now was Shadow, who was the first to sit up, narrowing his red eyes. He had to be brave. For Sonic. For Cream. For _himself_.

"You know, when I thought about meeting you guys in person, I didn't think you'd fall for my trap so...so _quickly_. Let alone be so _weak._"

"You led us here, didn't you?" Tails theorized, secrete as he studied the new guy. With great horror, he looked a lot like_ Sonic_. In a twisted way. Even their _voices_ were similar. But Tails couldn't deny the cold shiver running down his spine. This guy not only looked like a warped version of his best friend, but he had the same _speed. That was how everyone suddenly stopped fighting! Because he attacked them without getting noticed! And I'm probably next!_

"That would be right." The haunting smirk widened and Tails' gaze flickered in Shadow's direction for the briefest moment; and in that moment, Shadow made the slightest shake of his head, and Tails gulped.

"A-And, uh," Tails' voice trembled but he slowly gathered all of his courage and stood to his feet, "who are _you?"_

"I'm Scourge." The hedgehog raised his arms like he was a god to be hailed; Tails saw the scars across his chest and vaguely wondered how they got there. "Scourge the Hedgehog. You've met one of my friends before."

It slowly clicked into place. "That girl who keeps attacking Amy?"

"Elise. Isn't she a doll?" Scourge chuckled darkly, taking a few steps to the side. The unconscious heroes slowly began to come to, including Sonic; who groaned and shifted, shut eyes tightened.

"Elise..." The name was familiar. Where has Tails heard of her before?

"She used to be the princess of Soleanna. What a shame." His focus averted to the blue hedgehog lying on the ground beneath him. "_Pathetic_," Scourge spat, grabbing Sonic by the collar and lifting him up with one arm until they were nose to nose; Tails started for them but held himself back from doing anything that could make their situation worse. Sonic's feet dangled from touching the ground, and he winced, squinting down at the other; his nose was bleeding, and he could feel the blood slowly trickling down his face. "The great Sonic the Hedgehog that everyone talks about. What's so special about _you_, huh? You think you're _so great_, don't cha?"

When Sonic didn't respond with his usual quip, Scourge snorted coldly. "Let's see how great you are when I_ destroy_ you." His voice lowered so only Sonic could hear, and Sonic's body shook with every word. "You, and everyone you've ever cared about." The faces appeared in Sonic's thoughts before he could stop them, and a pink-haired green eyed girl was the first to appear in his worried mind.

_"Let him go!"_

Sonic's heart jumped into his throat, all heads whipping around to see Amy herself, hammer in hand. And she had their friends with her; Cream, Rouge, Blaze, Sally, Sticks, and even Tikal. Team Rose stood in formation, but Sally, Sticks, and Tikal were in similar poses; Rouge floated above them. Every expression was fierce.

"I said let him go._ Now!_" Amy raised her hammer higher. "Or we attack!"

"Well, look who's a big girl now!" Scourge mocked, turning to the blue hedgehog he held in his fists. "Adorable, isn't she?"

Sonic barely had time to react because no sooner than later was he thrust forward, knees crumpling as he crashed into the floor head first. He groaned in pain, rolling over on his back.

Amy was the first to move, heading straight for Sonic, falling to her knees beside him to help him sit up. The others mirrored her movements; Blaze and Sally walked briskly for the other two hedgehogs; Tikal bent down and cupped Espio's face, shaking him gently to rouse him. Rouge helped a now-awakened Knuckles, their arms wrapped around each other. Sticks kept her guard up, boomerang held high behind her shoulder. Cream ran over to Tails and grabbed his hand; Tails sighed in relief and laced their fingers together, keeping her close to his side.

"You came," Sonic whispered with a little grin. "Knew you couldn't stay away."

"I'm just happy you're okay." Amy threw her arms around him and he leaned into her, welcoming her touch.

_"How sweet."_

Moment over.

Both Sonic and Amy got to their feet together, Sonic instinctively throwing out a protective arm in front of his girlfriend.

"_Scourge_, huh? That's a weird name." His confidence was back, even if every inch of his body ached. But Amy was _here_. She was right where she belonged. He had to fight with the little energy he had left. "Mind if I call ya _Scrooge_ instead?"

Scourge could see that he was surrounded. Not that he was threatened - because he wasn't in the _least_ \- but he best make his leave now. He withdrew a squared object with a red button on it and pressed it, holding down on the button. "This place is gonna blow up in thirty seconds. Come back to me when you're ready for a _real_ challenge, Sonic. You know where to find me."

The base began to vibrate violently, and everyone let out sounds of fear and surprise; they were so concerned about each other that they missed Scourge's evil cackle as he disappeared into the darkness.

"Guys, we need to get outta here!" Sonic grabbed Amy's hand, and everyone raced for the exit.

But every door began to shut, leaving them locked inside. Debris began to fall from the ceiling, about to cave in at any moment by now. The walls crumbled, collapsing in on themselves.

"We're trapped!" Cream cried, holding onto Tails' wrist with her free hand.

"Like _hell!_"

Shadow and Silver pulled out their chaos emeralds and raised them together. "_Chaos Control!_"

A red and white portal appeared, growing larger and slowly began its spiral.

"Everyone in!" Sonic pointed.

Sticks was the first to jump, Tikal and Espio after, and Silver and Blaze. Rouge and Knuckles exchanged glances before throwing themselves in. Tails and Cream flew in just as the former two disappeared. Sally and Shadow locked eyes as she passed to jump, and Shadow sighed before jumping in after her.

"Amy, _go!_" Sonic pushed her towards the portal.

"Not without _you!_" Amy cried.

And that's when the ceiling gave way and finally fell, heading straight down for the two hedgehogs. If they didn't move in mere seconds, they were gonna be crushed. Amy screamed, Sonic grabbed her, and jumped through the portal just before it closed.

The base exploded.

* * *

**Scourge and Sonic finally met face to face! Won't be the last time they do!**

**What will the gang do next? Click that review button ;D**


	28. Trust the Instinct

**Again, another filler, but sometimes fillers are important! :D Thanks for the constant support, guys! This story is 5 away from 300! I can't believe it! **

* * *

"We made it!" Sticks cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "What a rush!"

"Wait a minute, guys...where's Sonic and Amy?" Tails asked, panicked.

Everyone began to look around, but the sound of harmonized grunts made them all whirl around. Just before the portal closed completely, a pink and blue ball fell out and landed onto the ground. The ball split in two, and in its place were the hedgehogs in question, landing in a heap of limbs on the concrete.

"Ergh..." Sonic groaned, blinking his eyes as his gaze began to focus. Slightly disoriented, he vaguely noticed that his arms were wrapped around a smaller, curvier figure; one arm was wrapped slightly around a slender waist, and his free hand cupped the back of someone's head so he would take most of the impact. Knowing who it was, he closed his eyes again and sighed in relief. "Amy, are you okay?"

She nodded, fingers curling around his shoulders. He could feel her erratic heartbeat and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. After another long beat, she finally shifted and got off of him, sitting up on her knees. Sonic sat up too, and no sooner than later did she throw her arms around his neck and bury her face into his neck.

He slung a lazy arm around her back, leaning his cheek against her head.

"Everybody okay?" Sonic asked the gang.

"For a second there, we thought you never made it out." Tails, with his hand over his heart, patted Sonic on the back.

"Amy?" Cream tilted her head, and all eyes were on the pink hedgehog now.

_"I'm okay,"_ her muffled voice barely reached their ears but was heard nevertheless, and she lifted her head. "I'm okay," she repeated for the others to hear.

Sonic took her face in his hands, and she at first thought that he was gonna kiss her. He searched her face carefully, tilting her chin up to check for any scars or bruises. Thankfully, there were none. But his knees - _man_, did they hurt. He landed wrong and he knew it. But he should feel better tomorrow.

His head was buzzing, and it wasn't just from the slight dizziness. His thoughts kept training back to that strange hedgehog, Scourge._ It was like Shadow all over again! But creepier_. If Eggman wasn't being this for once, then did that mean he was played as a puppet? What made Scourge so tough? Who else was working for him besides that girl...what was her name..._Elise?_ Yeah, that was it. Vaguely familiar. He'll have to check in with Tails about that later.

But Scourge...Not_ only_ making Eggman do all the dirty work _and_ having more to him than he is letting on _and_ threatening his friends and the girl he l - um...feel..._feelings_ for - but he...reminded Sonic...of a darker, twisted version of..._himself?_

_I don't know, man. This day just took a turn for the heebie jeebies. I need a nap! Then maybe a run. Yeaaah._

But then he remembered what he asked Amy earlier.

_Looks like it's sleepover at Ames' again._

* * *

"Elise?"

"Yeah."

"Princess Elise of Soleanna..."

They lay in her bed, his eyes on her, her eyes on the ceiling as she thought. Fingers absentmindedly played together, green eyes catching the other pair every once in a while.

"Remember when Egghead was big on turning everyone into robots?"

"Now it's the same with Scourge, except..."

"He's turning people into..."

"People like _us_. Why would he do that?"

"Why is Eggman letting it happen?"

"What if Scourge is more...powerful than he seems?"

"I don't like 'em. I get a bad vibe every time I even_ think_ of him. If he's anything like Eggman, he's got more than one person doin' all the work."

"None of us even knows who he is. What does he have against you, anyway? Do you two know each other?"

"If we ever did, I don't remember. But I got this weird feelin' like..."

"Like what?"

"Like I_ should_."

"What do you mean?"

"Ames, he took down all of us in a matter of _seconds_. None of us saw him comin'! Who else do ya know who's _that_ fast?"

Amy could only think of one other hedgehog besides the one in bed with her, and she flipped over on her side to look at him. "So you think he's like you?"

"..._Kinda_." While one hand danced with hers, he rested his cheek in his opposite palm, looking down at her with furrowed eyebrows. "And it's sorta freakin' me out."

Amy's face softened, and she squeezed his fingers reassuringly with her own. "We'll go to Mystic Ruins tomorrow and figure this out, okay? Everything's gonna be okay."

Sonic's lips pulled up in a lopsided grin, and a similar one reflected on hers. She leaned in and kissed him, to which he returned, and she left a pout on his face when she broke it; she turned her back to him and curled into a fetal position, the smile still present on her face. Falling into their routine, Sonic shook his head and scooted in, arms slipping around her middle, and curled himself around her.

Maybe, for tonight, he could get that green hedgehog out of his mind. If only for a few hours.

:~:

At sunrise, the two sleepy hedgehogs dragged themselves out of bed, showered (SEPARATELY), and walked sluggishly downstairs, fully dressed and (sorta) ready for action.

Sonic ran a hand through his quills and Amy stifled a yawn, both trying to squeeze through the doorway at the same time. After a few times of attempting - and _failing_ \- to get through, they realized that they were both keeping each other from getting through and giggled drowsily. Sonic grasped Amy's hips and walked forward, pushing his giggly girlfriend through the door frame.

"Why are we up so early again?" Sonic nuzzled her neck, arms encircling completely around her waist. Pressed flush against her, he could feel her shake with giggles and his sleepy grin widened, kissing her there.

"We gotta see Tails, remember?" Amy reminded him, rosy in the face now.

Sonic straightened slightly, a blank look masking his face for a second, his grip loosening. "...Oh."

Giggling, Amy turned around in his loose hold and took his face in her hands, pecking him on the lips. Sonic's heart did a 360, and she wasn't the only one pink in the face when she pulled away.

"Come on, _lover boy_," Amy teased, pulling him along.

Sonic groaned at the nickname.

* * *

"How's that?" Cream leaned back after patching up Tails' ear, eyeing him closely in case she missed anything. Tails didn't know that he had hurt his ear until it started hurting in the middle of a phone call with the rabbit; she was over in less than ten minutes.

"Perfect. Thanks, Cream. I owe ya one." Tails smiled up at her.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Cream smiled back.

Tails hummed and grinned wider, patting his knee; Cream stared at him for a long beat before she blushed faintly and sat on his lap.

"Did Amy say anything about your hover car?" Tails asked her, clacking away on the dashboard, arms wrapped around her to get to the keys.

"She wondered where I got it from." Cream watched the screen, leaning back against the fox.

"How does it fly?"

"Efficiently!"

"Good!"

"Thanks for helping me build it."

"No problem."

Cream hesitated. "Miles?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you scared?"

Tails' fingers came to a halt above the keys, eyes flickering to the rabbit nestled in his lap. He knew what she was talking about._ Who_ she was talking about. His heart raced, and it wasn't just because she was curled against him. Tails wasn't scared. He was_ terrified_. "Yeah. Are you?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she whispered back.

Tails looked down at her just as she peered up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. His face fell, and he pressed his hand against the small of her back; she buried her face in his neck, hand curling over his chest as she duck her head, and he rubbed her spine in soothing strokes. Tails' other arm fell around her waist and he held her to comfort her, resting his cheek on top of her head.

"It's okay to be scared," he murmured to her. "We always have a plan, right?"

"Who would we be if we didn't?"

Sonic's voice had their heads shoot up in surprise, arms still wrapped around each other as the two hedgehogs entered the room. Sonic took in their current position and grinned smugly, putting his hands on his hips. Amy's gaze went from the fox to the rabbit, and an identical smile spread across her face.

"Sonic!" Cream's eyes lit up at the sight of her friends, unabashed palms flat on Tails' chest.

"We aren't..._interrupting_ anything, are we?" Amy teased.

"U-Uh-" Tails stammered, but it looked like Cream wasn't moving anytime soon. Her cheek fell back on his shoulder, arm draping around his torso as if this was a normal thing. Not that he was complaining or anything. He was _far_ from complaining. Clearing his throat, he wrapped his arms more securely around her and turned around in his seat to face the couple, pretending to be nonchalant. "Nothin' really. You're just in time!"

"Good! Let's get started!" Amy perked up, sitting down in one of the spare seats. Sonic remained standing, folding his arms across his chest. "Tails, do ya have any theories?"

"I was actually gonna ask you guys the same question, Amy." Tails lifted a shoulder. "Did you guys come up with anything yet?"

Amy nodded and told Tails what she and Sonic discussed last night. Tails listened carefully, humming between intervals, and shared the occasional glance between Cream and Sonic. When the pink hedgehog fell silent, Tails averted his attention to his best friend. "Sonic?"

Sonic had been quiet the whole time, staring blankly into the corner when he wasn't looking at Tails. No one liked the look on his face. The mask he wore was so...so _blank_. So _unlike_ him. Usually, he'd be big in participation during group meetings, most of the time even_ leading_ the discussions with Tails.

When Sonic didn't answer, Amy spoke this time.

"Sonic?" She said his name softly, tilting to her head to the side.

They saw him swallow at the sound of her voice, and he slowly opened his mouth to speak. Even his _voice_ lacked its usual confidence. "He said to me...that if I'm up for a_ real_ challenge then I'd 'know where to find him'. The hell does that even _mean? _If this was Eggman, then I'd have an idea but...but I have no clue who this guy is or what he wants from me."

"Maybe Eggman knows?" Amy stood up. "Why don't we ask him?"

"Ames, Scourge _has_ Eggman. If I knew where Eggman was, then that's where Scourge is."

"What makes you think he's gonna tell us anything?" Tails queried.

"He's done it before. If someone's bigger than Eggman, then eventually Egghead's gonna come runnin' to us."

"So what do we do?" Cream asked.

"We do what we always do," said Amy.

Sonic's lips pulled up in a lopsided grin. "And what's that?"

Amy grinned. "_We trust the instinct_."

* * *

**Soooo this chapter was mostly theories and shippy things :D I wanted to get something up to hold you guys for the next chapter! You all shouldn't be waiting long...'cause I'm finally on Christmas Break! Whoo! Happy holidays, everybody!**


	29. Playful Sparring

**Yo, yo, yo! Wassap guys? It's been a while since I last updated this baby! Only a few chapters left. I know, it's sad!**

**But! Have no fear! A new story is on the horizon!**

* * *

"Let me out! I have my rights, you little rat! You need me!"

Ivo Robotnik was in quite the conundrum. How could he let a pesky hedgehog beat him again?! And a rude one, no less!

"He's like Sonic, but twelve times worse!" Eggman fumed, banging his fist against the cell. "How on earth could I have let this happen?"

"You thought you were invincible."

Eggman walked up to the bars, squinting his beady eyes. A blonde hedgehog walked up to his cell from the left side, carrying a tray of food in her hands; blue eyes watched him warily, never leaving his as she slowly bent down to slide his dinner into the cell.

"Scourge has that problem too. It will ultimately be his downfall," she continued as she stood up straight.

"Well if it isn't my dearest cousin, Maria," Eggman sneered, and her lips pressed together. "What brings you here unannounced?"

"I'm here because...because I need your help." She looked like she was having trouble with her words, and she now had his undivided attention.

"...Go on," he said, interest peaked.

.

Sonic couldn't remember the last time he slept in his own bed. The blue hero was always moving, using the earth as his home. And ever since he and Amy got together, he's been spending most of his nights at her house. Tonight was different. The moon was up at its peek, illuminating his room with its fluorescent glow.

And he was alone.

Amy knew that as a couple, they needed occasional space from each other - and this was one of those times. After he kissed her goodnight, she told him to sleep well and call her if he ever needed her. But he didn't want to bother her with his lame problems; he was just too anxious to sleep.

He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. _Come on, man...pull yourself together. You're just used to running around at this time of night, that's all!_

Ugh...he knew it was more than that.

Tails probably got less sleep than he did, spending hours on end in his workshop. He knew how to distract himself from his worries; by doing one of the things he loved. Sonic debated whether or not he should go out for a quick run, but decided against it because if he started running now he wasn't gonna stop.

He thought about what it would be like to hold Amy right now. Man, he'd like that. She knew how to distract him from anything and _everything_. Why did he tell her he wanted to sleep alone tonight? How stupid could he get?

His hand lay limply over his chest, his heart beating underneath his palm. He thought about taking Amy and running away, just the two of them. Wherever the wind took them. She would be in a pretty sundress while they walked on the sand together, fingers interlocked between; always by his side in the heat of battle...She could teach him how to swim, and he would be a wimp about it but went along with it only for _her_.

_Maybe after all this is over_...he mused as sleep finally began to pull him under. _What the heck? Sometimes heroes need a vacay!_

.

"Wake up, Sonic!"

Sonic groaned, rolling over on his stomach and burying his face in his pillows. Morning already? He just fell asleep! "Five more minutes, Tails..."

"I'm not Tails." The female voice giggled.

And that's when realization struck him. The hedgehog opened his eyes, turning himself over to look over his shoulder. He was greeted with the perky face of Amy Rose at nine o'clock in the morning, dressed lazily in a grey cami, dark pink sweats, and low brown boots; her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail.

Sonic grinned sleepily. "Hey. Did Tails let you in?"

Amy leaped over his legs, plopping down next to him. "Yep! How did you sleep?"

"I was out like a light." He snuggled up against her, much to her delight, resting his cheek against her soft bosom as he wrapped his arms around her. She smelled wonderful.

"Are you hungry?" She planted a kiss on top of his head. "I'll make breakfast."

Sonic's growling stomach gave his hunger away, and she laughed. She had to literally drag him out of bed, pulling him eagerly downstairs. He bumped his head a few times along the way, pouting in protest; each time he did, she would apologize and lean up to kiss it to make it better.

After she made the boys eggs and bacon, the three of them sitting together at the kitchen table, Amy spoke up after draining the last of her orange juice. "Wanna spar, Sonic? I could use the practice."

Sonic hummed, stealing Tails' bacon when he wasn't looking. "Sure thing! Lemme get ready."

Tails turned back around in his seat, his mouth set on the last piece of bacon he had left, when he realized his plate contained nothing but crumbs. "Hey!"

A cackling Sonic was already running back upstairs.

* * *

Sonic came back down in his gear, straightening his fingerless gloves as he walked into the backyard. "Amy, ya ready?" he asked, looking up. Amy had her back to her, bent over as she tied her sneakers; she had ditched her boots for tennis shoes, and sweats for short black cotton shorts that outlined her figure. He smirked and tilted his head.

Fingers pulling the strings through the loop, Amy caught Sonic's lidded gaze and jumped, standing up straight. "Sonic!"

"Cute butt," he complimented her with a wink.

Amy huffed, casting a not-so-subtle glance over her shoulder so he wouldn't see her smile. "Let's just get started, 'kay?"

"Okay, okay. But first..." He walked up to her, smirk widening.

"What?" she demanded impatiently.

Sonic put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer, pecking her lightly on the lips. He left her smiling and he grinned from ear to ear, running his fingers through her ponytail. "Now, Ames...I'm not gonna go easy on ya," he told her, expression softening.

"I don't want you to." Amy leaned into his touch.

"If ever want me to stop, or if I hurt you-"

She nodded, taking his hands in hers; she brought his knuckles to her lips, kissing each one. "I know. Let's do this."

Sonic backed away from her, putting himself in the right mindset. If she wanted him to see her as the enemy, then...that's what she had to do.

No, no. Think of her as an opponent. Yeah, that's a better word.

Amy sunk into a defensive stance, eyeing him steadily. She was ready. Oh man. He brought his fists up and waited for her signal; she nodded, and he shot forward with swift jabs and punches. She met him head on, blocking each one by bringing up her arms, their grunts soon filling the air. If he hurt her, she showed no sign of pain. Those beautiful green eyes of hers were fierce with integrity, aiming to succeed and nothing else.

Sonic made a grab for her and she leaned back so far that he thought for a wild second that she was gonna fall down. But she never ceased to amaze him. "Switch!" he shouted, and it was her turn to go for the offensive. He brought up his arms as she aimed punches and kicks at his face and torso. Her kicks were powerful, skidding him back a few feet. It almost hurt him. She was improving.

So he decided to spice things up a bit.

She threw a punch at him and he dodged, using his speed. She was taken offguard for a split second, fist frozen in position, his smug smirk obviously testing a nerve. That's what he wanted. She swung her opposite hand, and he flitted to the other direction. She tried this for a few more shots, each time he effortlessly dodging, but when he turned around to taunt her she caught him around the tricep. His eyes went wide, meeting the mocking gaze of his girlfriend. _That little_...She started to grin, and he grabbed her in the same place; holding each other by the forearms, they swayed from side to side, trying to outsmart the other. But they had the same train of thought. The two hedgehogs twirled around, grips loosening and she slipped out of his hold. With a, "ha!", her foot came in contact with the small of his back, and he was sent pummeling into the grass.

Sonic spit out grass and dirt, _blegh!_, and flipped himself back on his feet.

"What's the matter, sweetie? Can't take the heat?" Amy teased, holding up her fists.

"Heh heh...Alright, get ready! Here I come!" Sonic jogged in place before flitting over to the pink hedgehog at full speed. Amy squeaked, blocking his incoming punches with her arm and in turn kicked him from her side and front. He caught her foot mid-swing, and she jumped, kicking off his chest and flipping backwards. The way that she landed so perfectly was _so attractive_ that he just -

Amy yelped as Sonic tackled her to the ground. She wiggled and tried to kick herself free, sitting up when there was the smallest given space. But he grabbed her and pinned her to the earth, growling above her. Amy gaped. So_ that's_ how he wanted to play, huh?

Sonic frowned slightly when she started to lean up, but made a strangled noise in the back of his throat when her blunt teeth tugged at his ear. He was distracted enough for her to playfully growl and, in turn, switching their positions so_ she_ dominated. He tried to get up, and she pinned him right back down, pulling her lips back over her teeth.

When she saw that he wasn't going to get up, or so she _thought_, she stood to her feet and held her hand out to him to help him up. Sonic sighed, reaching up to grasp her hand.

Only to yank her right back down to the ground.

"Two things. Rule number one," he told her, leaning over the hedgehog's panting form, "_never_ trust your opponent." He stroked her muzzle with his thumb, grinning down at her.

"What's number two?" she asked, out of breath.

"Rule number two - _never_ be afraid to fight dirty." He pecked her nose. "Got it?"

She blushed. "Got it."

Sonic leaned down, giving the same attention to her lips before rolling off of her and onto his back, putting his arms behind his head. "And if ya want, we can get Shadow over here - now _he_ knows what he's talking about."

"Yeah, yeah...sounds good! Just let me...catch my breath first..."

He chuckled, looking over at her. "Did I wear you out?"

"I'm _pretty sure_ I lost a few pounds." Amy giggled, curling against him. "Thanks again."

Sonic nuzzled her quills. "Nah, thank _you_. This was fun."

"Really?" She draped her arm over his torso.

"Yeah. I'm down for whatever you want, Amy."

"Well, right now I'm down for whatever _you_ want, Sonikku." She smiled up at him. "What do you wanna do?"

"Whelp, I wanna take my girlfriend out again...but that's _probably_ a bad idea, right?" Sonic gazed down at her with a cocky grin of his own.

"Probably..." she played along. "_Unless..._" she added artfully, "we make it a _group date_."

Sonic laughed, looking up at the sky. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

**Now when you put multiple badasses together, there's no doubt that they're gonna be messed with. Is it wise to mess with a bunch of heroes? Hahahahaha NO.**

**Give that review button some love if you liked it! ^^**


	30. The Last Picnic

**Yooo! Sorry that I took so long for another update, but here we are! Each chapter, we get closer and closer to the end! How exciting! (And kinda sad, tbh.) It's not often that I finish multichappies, so I hold this one very dear to my heart. I thank each and every one of you who have stuck with me since the beginning of this fic, and even those readers who may not find this story until today. Your constant love and support is what keeps me and this story goin'. So I just wanna thank ya'll yet again! /smooches you all/**

**Enjoy the fluff while we still have it, 'cause things are about to heat up. Fasten your seatbelts!**

* * *

Sonic waited for his date to come down the stairs, lollygagging to keep himself busy. The blue hedgehog paced, tapped his foot, and turned around in semi-circles on the heels of his shoes. He was in the midst of whistling show tunes when he heard her footsteps and made a 180 degree spin; as soon as he saw her, his whistle dropped down octaves as his eyes roamed over her outfit. She wore a creamy sleeveless crop top with cherries on them, dark fitted jeans, and nude pumps; and to pull it off, her hair was pulled up in a pretty ponytail.

"_Wow_," Sonic said, and Amy giggled, giving him a full pirouette.

"Do you like it?" Amy smiled bashfully at him.

"Ya sure ya won't get cold? It's supposed t'be chilly tonight," he grinned down at her, holding his hand out to her. She took it and inched closer to him.

"Well I guess I'll have _you_ to keep me warm," she nuzzled him affectionately, kissing his cheek.

Sonic the blue blunder blushed and stammered out a reply, and his girlfriend was as giggly as ever as she pulled him out of the house. As soon as the night air hit her bare arms, she shivered and hugged her arms, turning into him for warmth.

"Told ya," Sonic murmured into her ear, rubbing her arms.

"Oh shut up," she mumbled, grinning into his neck.

He laughed, arms encircling around her waist. "Are ya ready _now_?"

"Mm...gimme a sec." She wrapped hers around his torso, fingers lacing together in the back.

He grinned, shaking his head and letting it fall on top of hers. "Take your time."

They stood together in the crisp night air, holding onto each other, before Amy nodded and pulled back. Scooping her up in his arms, Sonic tucked Amy close to his body before he took off at the speed of sound.

He stopped running as soon as they reached their destination. It was a wide, open field, with the perfect view of the stars and the ocean on the cliffside. Upon seeing the familiar tree, Amy realized that he had taken her back to the start; the very place where they, Tails, Cream, and Knuckles had their picnic.

Amy beamed, Sonic letting her down gently.

"A picnic?" she turned to face him in awe. "_Here_?"

"I-Is that okay? We can, uh, go somewhere else-" he started to babble nervously.

The pink hedgehog leaned up, arms wrapping around his neck. "It's perfect."

She closed the short distance between their faces then, kissing him softly on the lips; forgetting his fumble altogether, he kissed her back. Her fingers drifted up to run through his quills, causing the blue hedgehog to purr slightly and pull her closer, to which she had no complaint.

"Ugh. You two look like you're fighting over a grape."

The couple broke apart, embarrassed, only to squint at the echidna.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Too long apparently."

"Oh lighten up, Knuckie." Rouge shoved him, looking pretty in her simple black dress. "This is a date, remember? We're supposed to be all..." she let a teasing finger run down his chest, "_close and personal_."

Knuckles swatted her hand away, blushing under the moonlight. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with!"

"Sorry we're late!"

The four looked above as Tails and Cream descended towards them, holding hands; Cream looked adorable in another one of her many sundresses.

"Ms. Vanilla wanted to take pictures," Tails explained bashfully as he landed with his date.

"Damn, it's not like you're taking her to prom." Knuckles rolled his eyes, helping Sonic set out the blankets.

"I-I still wanted it to be special..." Tails mumbled. Cream overheard him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder, giving him a pleasantly surprising kiss on the cheek.

Silver and Blaze arrived through a portal, the sound of Shadow's motorcycle gave way to his and Sally's arrival, and the Chaotix were as loud and joyful as they can be with Sticks in tow. The group of friends set out the assorted foods and wasted no time to get fed. Once everyone had a plate they all sat down, simply enjoying the company of one another under the peaceful night sky.

Nibbling on some of the pizza that the Chaotix brought, Amy scooted closer to Sonic and rested her head on his shoulder. She was so happy. It was the perfect (although kinda _chilly_) night, and she was surrounded by the people she loved; her friends, her best friends, and her boyfriend.

Thinking back on all the events in her life that led up to this moment...she wouldn't change anything for the world.

"Cold?" Sonic asked knowingly through chews. Oh man. Did he ever mention how much he loved food? Cause he _loooved_ food.

"Mm-mm," she shook her head, taking another bite. Her smile was still present on her face.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" he leaned his head against hers.

"Just...how far we've come. What we've had to go through to get here," she mused thoughtfully, lifting her face to look up at him, bringing their faces closer. "Thank you."

"For what?" he smiled softly.

Her eyes rolled fondly. "_Everything_."

"Everything, huh?" Wiping the crumbs off of his mouth, he slithered his arms around her and pulled her closer to him; she placed her pizza crust on her plate before curling into all that was _him_. "That's...that's a lot to be thankful for, don't cha think?"

"Doesn't matter." She was nestled comfortably in his lap now.

Sonic hummed, dipping his head and lowering his voice so only she could hear. And for some reason, he sounded nervous. "Hey, uh...Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"There's...there's something I wanna tell ya."

His heart was ready to burst out of his ribcage.

"Is everything okay?" she asked with concern, intertwining his slightly trembling fingers. "Sonikku, you're shaking..."

"I-I know. Guess I'm nervous..." he mumbled.

"You don't have to be. You know you can tell me anything..." she murmured back, lifting his hand up to her lips to brush her lips against his palm. "What is it?"

"W-Well...I-I..." he took a deep, shaky breath. "Amy, I..."

"Hey, Sonic!" Vector waved him over. "C'mere a sec!"

Sonic bit down on his jaw.

"Sonic?" his girlfriend whispered, touching his face.

_...Damn it._

He cupped his hand over hers and closed his eyes. "Not here. Later, I promise."

The blue hedgehog kissed the inside of her wrist before he got up to see what the Chaotix wanted, leaving her confused and wondering.

_I wonder what he has to tell me? I guess I'll find out later..._

.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Sonic cursed himself as he practically stomped over to Vector.

_I was close! I was so close to telling her that I - that I... - Ugh!_

_Vector better have a damn good reason to_ _-!_

"Sonic! You wouldn't believe what...just..." Vector's voice trailed off, he, Espio, and Charmy eyeing him like he had grown three heads. "Hey, uh...you okay, bro?"

Sonic, realizing he was probably giving Vector the darkest look ever, snapped out of his murderous daze. "Huh? I'm fine! What's goin' on, guys?"

"_Uuuhh_, never mind. I called at a bad time, didn't I?" Vector winced.

Sonic's nostrils flared. "You. Called. Me. Over. Here. For. Nothing."

"W-Well -"

"You. Called. Me. Over. Here. For. _Nothing_?"

"Focus your spirit," Espio reminded him calmly.

"Oh I'll _focus my spirit_ alright," Sonic grumbled as he turned around and walked away, hands balled up into fists.

_Just calm down, man. You're just a lil' grumpy because your moment with Ames got interrupted...and you might not ever have it again 'cause you're an idiot!_

"Sonic?"

"_What?_" Sonic whirled around, only to press his lips tight at the sight of Tikal standing behind him with a kind smile. "O-Oh. Sorry, Tikal. What's up?"

"Don't let one distraction ruin your night," she advised him, smile widening as she continued, "I know what you're planning to tell Amy."

Sonic's cheeks grew hot. "...Shh."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." Tikal gave his hand a little squeeze. "Why don't you try telling her when the time is right? Don't tell her until you're ready to tell her."

"I've _been_ ready to tell her. For like, since..._ever!_" Sonic admitted, throwing his hands out. "But every time I wanna tell her, I get all tongue tied and nervous and I can't...think straight and...ugh." He sighed, running a hand through his quills.

Tikal nodded patiently. "I can see why this is a nerve-wracking thing for you. You've never told anyone that, have you?"

"_No_...that's why it's so hard to say to her. Because I've never told anyone this before...Why hasn't she...?"

"She doesn't want to push you away, Sonic. From what I gathered, she's waiting for you to say it first."

Sonic smiled to himself. "She's...she's been waiting for a long time though."

"She's waited this long," Tikal agreed, nudging her friend. "I think she can wait a little longer."

He flashed her a warm grin, relieved. "Thanks, Tikal. Has anybody told you that you could be like a therapist or somethin'?"

"No." Tikal giggled. "But perhaps I shall take that into consideration."

.

Amy perked up as Sonic made his way back over to her.

"Hey! You just missed Sticks trying to stick her tongue all the way up her nose."

"Such a _turn on_." Sonic snickered. His mood already lightened as soon as he reached her, resuming his place next to her. She held his hand, leaning close to gaze into his eyes.

"Are you sure everything's okay? Nothing you wanna talk about?" she whispered in earnest. "I was starting to get worried about you."

"And wrinkle that pretty face?" Sonic smoothed his thumb across her forehead, and she smiled tenderly. "I told ya, Ames. Everything's peaches and gravy."

"Then what were you gonna tell me before?" Amy wanted to know.

"Shh. It's a secret." He winked at her and she giggled.

"Shadow?"

At the sound of Cream's concerned voice, Sonic, Amy, and their friends looked up to see the ebony hedgehog staring off into the distance with narrowed red slits. His tense stance had Sonic slowly getting to his feet, joining Shadow's side with Amy glued to his.

"Shad? You okay buddy?" Sonic asked, hand reaching out for the other's shoulder.

But his eyes finally registered what Shadow was looking at.

More-so, _who_ he was looking at it.

"Is that...?" Amy squinted. _No. No, no. Could that be...?_

"It is." Sonic looked over at Shadow in alarm, the latter having yet to tear his eyes away.

"_Who?_"

Shadow's breath hitched in his throat, the name falling off of his lips in a shaky whisper. "_Maria_."

"Sonic..." Amy grasped his shoulder in shock. "There's someone...standing there...with her..." she breathed, eyes wide.

"I see 'em." Sonic couldn't stop staring. It was - he had to be dreaming - that face...those eyes...

Recognizable anywhere.

Amy took a step forward in disbelief. "_C-Chris_?"

* * *

**Dun dun dun. Maria's here! Chris is here! Scourge isn't gonna like that very much, is he?**

**Yanno, ah, that review button is in need of some love ;D Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see ya in the next!**


	31. One More Time

**a/n at the end. ^^**

* * *

"Sonic!" Chris bounded into the bewildered speedster, nearly knocking Sonic off of his feet with enthusiasm. Eyes wide, Sonic's arms mechanically wrapped around the boy - now teenager - who was once human, shooting his girlfriend a bewildered look over Chris' shoulder. Amy was just as confused about this as he was.

"Shadow, please. We don't have much time," Maria pleaded to her old best friend, who was still gaping at her in shock and suspicion. So many questions ran through Shadow's mind, but the urgency of the blonde hedgehog's voice was enough to snap him out of his daze and nod mutely.

"Start talking," he said, taking a step closer to her with narrowed ruby orbs.

"Scourge will know about our escape shortly, no doubt he's aware now. He _will_ be on his way here to end all of us -"

"So you _brought_ him here."

"No, it's not like that at all! Chris and I, we...we were _kidnapped_, along with Princess Elise. Forced to go along with whatever Scourge was planning because he threatened us otherwise. Elise didn't want to cooperate at all. She wanted nothing to do with this, so he punished her for it...a-and then he cloned her."

"What do you mean, '_he cloned her_'?"

"He cloned her. He made a copy of her - the evil, polar opposite version of herself. _That's_ who has been attacking you. Attacking Amy."

Sonic looked in Amy's direction, but her focus was on the ground; hands balled up into tight fists. This was all so mind-blowing and he didn't know how to take this. He still had no idea how Scourge was able to take down Eggman and overpower him; a part of him didn't even _wanna_ know. And now he was feeling guilty. This was supposed to be the perfect date night - an awesome get-together with the friends he's had for so long now - only for his night to come crashing down in the worst way possible. Was he leading his friends to their deaths?

_No, no, don't think like that, man_, Sonic thought. _I came to a close call once. I won't let that happen again. I won't let the people I care about get hurt. _His gaze lingered on Amy._ Ames, I'm so sorry. After we get through this, I'll make it up to you. I promise._

He returned his attention to the conversation between Shadow and Maria, listening closely.

"And how are you here?" Shadow's voice shook - was it anger? sadness? guilt? - and he took another step closer to his long lost friend. "You're supposed to be _dead_. I _saw_ you die, Maria. You drowned in your own pool of blood and I watched the life leave your eyes before you sent me to earth. How the hell am I supposed to believe that the girl who I grew up with fifty years ago got shot and killed in cold blood, then _came back _all of a sudden? I recognized you the night we met." he demanded. "Why do you..." His jaw clenched. "Why do we look the same?"

Maria looked like she was about to cry, and Sonic wasn't the only one who was giving her his undivided attention. He was dying to know the mystery behind her return. Well, not _die die_, 'cause dying would be bad, but ya know. "It's a paradox," she said with a watery smile. "You'd think I wouldn't be here right now but..." Her misty gaze met the eyes of the peachy echidna who was now making her way forward. "When someone is brought back from the dead by a supernatural force, it can sometimes trigger..."

"A _reaction_," Tikal finished, and Maria nodded. "Chaos power..."

"Chaos power can bring someone back from the dead?"

"It sounds possible..." Tails mused quietly.

"What are you thinkin', buddy?" said Sonic.

"Well," Tails hummed before meeting his brother's gaze. "Tikal had a strong spiritual connection with the Master Emerald before she died, right? When concealed inside the Emerald with Chaos, all that power is controlled. Tamed. But when Knuckles found Tikal that day..."

"All that power was unleashed..." Knuckles finished, and the three of them nodded in mutual agreement.

"So that means..." Tails' breath caught in his throat, "that maybe...more people could be alive as well."

Sonic knew exactly where Tails' train of thought headed, but before he could ask, Maria's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Scourge found me unconscious and immediately took advantage. And now..." Maria gestured to her newer body. "I'm like this."

"So he's copyin' Egghead," said Sonic. "Instead of turning _Mobians_ into _robots_..."

"He's turning _humans_ into _Mobians_," Chris finished for him, scratching behind his ear with a wry, toothy smile.

"Why would he do such a thing?" said Tikal worriedly.

"I don't know..." Maria hung her head.

"Don't go feeling sorry for yourself now," said Shadow, still tensed and ready to spring at any moment. Maria's gaze snapped back up to meet his, startled by the sternness of his tone.

"Shadow, I..."

"Now's not the time to be apologizing, Maria. Or whoever you _claim_ yourself to be." The hurt look on her face didn't phase him a bit. "Tell us what you know. You were his right hand, weren't you?"

"Not as much as Elise's clone is," Maria corrected, shaking her head.

"How do we take him down? What are his weaknesses?"

"I wish I knew."

Sonic hesitated before he spoke up uneasily. "I think I know." He stepped forward, lifting his head to meet everyone's confused gaze. "_Me_."

_That_ caught Amy's attention. Her gaze nearly burned through his skull.

"There's a reason why he's as fast as me," Sonic said to the group, feeling his own fists slowly ball up. "Why he's everything I'm_ not_. Why he's so damn_ familiar_. Why he's so eager to get rid of Eggman and I've never physically hurt him _once_."

Both Tails and Amy gasped in realization. "No..."

Sonic nodded.

"Sonic?" Sally's eyes widened in worry.

The blue blur slowly shook his head. "Just know that when the time comes, it's up to me to...to _finish_ it." Knuckles, Tails, and Amy frowned slightly at that, and he tried not to look at either of them. He searched the crowd, head bobbing up and down as both Silver and Shadow walked up to him. "But I'm gonna need you both."

"What about us?" Charmy piped up.

"No doubt he's gonna recycle Eggman's robots to distract us," said Sally, and Tikal and Sticks moved to stand on either side of her. "We'll fight them off while Sonic, Shadow, and Silver go after Scourge."

"I know Elise is coming for me," said Amy, stepping forward too. "Well, her clone is. Someone's gonna have to go in the carrier and save the real Elise."

"I can find where she's held," said Chris.

"I'll go with you," said Tails.

"Me too," said Cream.

That meant that the rest of them will be fighting.

"How much time do we have before...?" Maria's voice trailed off as she looked over at Chris.

Chris checked his watch. "Less than five minutes. Maybe sooner."

A new air settled over the gang, determination soon replacing the fear (some more than others). The younger ones had to be reassured by the older ones. Sonic took a deep breath to calm his nerves, but that didn't help. He shouldn't be this nervous. This was supposed to be nothing!

_Well...it's not Eggman I'm fighting._

Amy, Tails, and Knuckles approached him mid-thought. "Sonic," said Tails.

He flashed his little brother a grin; he had to be brave for him. For Amy. For Knuckles. For everyone. He wasn't going to back down without a fight. After all, it wasn't _Eggman_ who rendered him down to crutches. His jaw clenched slightly. "Hey, take good care of Cream, okay? Look out for each other."

Tails nodded and smiled, even though the fear was evident in his eyes. But it was evidently clear; he'd protect the rabbit with his life. "Okay."

Sonic met Knuckles' gaze next.

"Kick his ass for me, will ya?" said the echidna, arms crossed over his chest; grin plastered over his face.

"You got it," said Sonic, and they fist bumped. "Take care of yourself out there."

Knuckles nodded. "You too."

Sonic and Amy's eyes met, and that was the cue for Tails and Knuckles to give them a little privacy. His gaze softened, and he reached across the short distance between them to intertwine their fingers. "Hey, you okay?"

Amy inhaled deeply and nodded, even if it didn't really meet her eyes. "I will be."

"Remember, it's just a _clone_ you're fighting. She's not even real," he reminded her. "Don't be afraid to cause a lil' damage."

"Got it." Amy nodded again.

Sonic's lips pulled up into a lopsided grin, and she returned the gesture; his smile fell, however, when he realized that this was it. That they were about to throw themselves into war without knowing about the other until it was over. "Amy, listen...just in case I don't - come back -" he hesitated, chewing down on his bottom lip. God, he hated the way he sounded. Like he was leaving her...No! Stop thinking like that!

"Sonic," Amy breathed softly, voice in a higher pitch. Now he had her panicked and scared. Just great. Great thinking, Sonic.

"I don't want'cha to worry about me." He grasped her rising hand before she could touch his face, holding her hand over his beating heart. She looked at their entwined hands before back into his eyes, pressing her lips together to keep herself from saying anything else. "Worry about yourself. The sooner we get this over with, the better. And...the sooner I'll tell you what I've been wanting to tell ya. For a while now, actually...okay?"

"Okay..."

"Be careful out there..."

"You too..."

"Right..." He closed his eyes. "Amy?"

"Sonic..."

The seriousness of her tone had his eyes flutter open to meet hers, and that's when she took his face in her hands and kissed him passionately. Sonic gasped sharply in surprise, only to close his eyes again and kiss her back deeply. Her lips were urgent on his, fingers trembling as they held his muzzle. Ran through his quills. She was scared for him. He knew, and he was scared for her too. He didn't know what to expect, and he had a haunting feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like something was going to go terribly wrong.

They only had seconds left now. And in those last seconds with her he poured every once of affection into each kiss, each kiss as they slowed and lingered like their breaths. His heart was ramming inside of his ribcage, both from the mysterious inevitable that lie ahead of them and the way she always made him _feel_, feeling his own hands tremble as he moved them to her face. One last time. He had to kiss her_ one more time_.

His lips pulled up to break the kiss, still puckered as he slowly pulled away from her; leaning their foreheads together and opening his eyes. She gazed back up at him, eyes glassy and shimmering in the moonlight. He caught the stray tear that escaped with his thumb, wiping it away and tucking her hair back.

The moon suddenly disappeared as a massive fortress crossed over it, casting a large shadow over the group, and both Sonic and Amy tore their gazes off of each other to slowly look up. Gasps emitted from the gang, and those who had their weapons brought them out at the ready.

Scourge's voice boomed from the fortress, followed by his bone-chilling, crazy laughter. _"Sonic the hedgehog! Isn't this an awesome surprise? It's yours truly! Hahaha!"_

The two hedgehogs looked back down to look into each other's eyes, the former of the two wanting so badly to wipe the next stray tears that escaped his girlfriend's eyelids; but she didn't look as frightened as she did before. Now her face was nearly void of all emotion. She was ready. And so was he.

Scourge's tone darkened.

_"You took something of mine, and I'd like it back. Why don't you come up here so we can negotiate?"_

Sonic's teeth gritted, taking a slow turn to face the direction of the fortress, gaze lifting up to the sky. His lips twitched into a bold, confident smirk, and he heard Amy summon her hammer. This was it. This was where it all ends.

"You can _bet_ on it."

And just like that, the night lit up with various power sources, war cries, and shooting, and Sonic shot straight for the fortress with Shadow and Silver hot on his heels.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Oh man, don't cha hate those?**

**Hey guys! Long time no see, huh? Sorry for the long wait, 'cause I know it must've been killin' ya. Guess what? I'm graduating from high school this Saturday! Amazing, right? Anyway, how are my younger and older readers doing with exams? You guys doing okay?**

**Like I've said, this story is coming to a close soon (it's sad, I know!). Hah, remember when I said I'd start my Shadikal story after I finish GOYHD? I may have fibbed a little. Check out _On The Edge of Paradise_ if you're a Shadikal fan, because it's up! And bonus: there's gonna be _mega_ Sonamy in it too! Those of you who are avid readers of The Sleepover, no fret! An update is on the horizon for that one too ;) ****Follow me on my tumblr at jazzybiizzle for more progress and such (as well as all-around fangirling b/c it's what I do best)!**

**So! If you liked the chapter lemme know! Give that review button some love, and I'll see you all in the next chapter. Buckle your seatbelts, 'cause it's gonna be a _ride_. Peace!**


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